Pokemon, the ED-Ventures
by Hagato
Summary: One day after a failed scam, Ed, Edd n Eddy find three strange creatures in Eddy's room. This discovery becomes the start of a journey that the three friends have never experienced before. A journey of growth. A journey of self-discovery. A journey of friendship. And, most importantly of all, a journey of Pokemon.
1. What's a Pokemon?

Well, its certainly been a long time since I've written _anything_ (not school related), let alone anything for this site. And considering what I did put on this site, a Pokémon/Ed, Edd n Eddy crossover does seem like something out of left field. Well, the story behind that is as follows. One day whilst looking around the internet I came across a piece of artwork that showed the Eds with the Hoenn starters. Intrigued by the idea, I came to this site to see if there were any crossovers. The only one I found that had gotten beyond a handful of chapters was Insane Dominator's _Edventures in Kalos_. I read the story and enjoyed it. While reading it, I got the idea to try writing such a story myself. I couldn't shake the idea so I gave it a go. And this is what resulted. I have to admit, I'm not a particularly good writer and my grammar is horrible. But hopefully as I go along there will be improvement.

Just to explain one thing about this story. I've tried to do something a bit more original with this story. That being that this story will feature a region that I have created. I have to admit I've never done anything like this before so this might not end well. But I shall try to persevere. That being said, I'd also like to say that I fakémon will not be in this story. Creating a region is enough as it is. All pokémon encountered in this story will be real pokémon, generations I through VII, though gen VII pokémon will be a bit light on the ground.

Now with all of that out of the way, sit back and enjoy the story and hopefully I'll actually be able to finish this story.

* * *

Peach Creek was typical of any suburb. It had schools, stores serving the various needs of its residents, all of the wholesome jobs that those residents spend most of their days at, and Cul-de-Sacs. One Cul-de-Sac in particular was well known throughout Peach Creek. The Cul-de-Sac on Rethink Avenue. It was not well known for any special geographic feature, historic significance to Peach Creek as a whole, a famous resident, or for anything good. It was known for being one of the most damaged or destroyed areas in all of Peach Creek. Over the past few years, there had been five times as many incidents of damage to private and public property than any other part of Peach Creek. It fact, the entire Cul-de-Sac had nearly been completely destroyed _twice_. There had been the flood, which still defied any explanation as to how it occurred, and when as of yet unidentified vandals practically razed most of the houses there. There had been a few attempts on the part of the town officials to discover the reason why all of this was happening, but the conclusions that they had come to were vague and inconclusive at best. Which was probably for the best, considering that the fact that the primary instigators of this was a trio of boys they probably won't have believed it anyway.

The trio in question was currently making their way back to the Cul-de-Sac; battered, bruised, and soaking wet. There names were Ed, Edd(also known as Double D), and Eddy, though a lot of the time they were simply referred to as the Eds. The leader of the trio was Eddy. He was short, a loudmouth, greedy, and constantly scheming to scam people out of their hard earned money. Double D was the brains of the group. He was highly intelligent, conscientious, and is a bit of a soft touch. The final member of the trio was Ed. If anything, he was the group muscle. He was also none to bright, spending most of his waking hours in a land all his own that was only barely connected to reality. The three had just come from one of their failed schemes and were making their way to Eddy's house to clean themselves up a bit.

"Well boys, that wasn't so bad," Eddy said, in an unusual good mood after a failed scam.

"Oh really," said Double D as he wrung a large amount of water out of his shirt. "How do you come to that questionable conclusion?"

"Well think about it," Eddy continued, himself wringing water out of his own clothes. "This is one of the few times that we didn't get pummeled after a scam."

"Only because we fell down that waterfall," Double D replied, " _again_."

"It was to laugh," commented Ed absently.

"Details, details," Eddy said, making swatting away motions for added effect. The trio turned into an ally that ran behind a row of houses. Along the fence there was a gate that led into Eddy's backyard. In the past the trio had used the gate for great effect on the numerous occasions that they needed a quick escape to or from Eddy's house. Eddy opened the gate and stepped into his backyard. "Lets just get..." He stopped short. Double D, not expecting the sudden halt, walked right into Eddy. He was quickly followed by Ed who slammed into the two, resulting in the three falling to the ground in a heap.

"Ed, please get off me," Double D asked, his voice muffled as his face was pushed into the back of Eddy's head.

"Sure can do Double D," Ed said as he jumped up off of Eddy and Double D. He then grabbed both Eddy and Double D, lifted them up in the air, and snapped the two out like a sheet. He then placed the his slightly dazed friends back on the ground.

"Thank you, Ed," Double D said as he messaged his temples in an attempt to stave off an oncoming headache. He turned to Eddy, "Is there something wrong Eddy?" He asked.

Eddy, whose face had gone red, pointed to his door and nearly screamed, "Someone's broke into my room!" Ed and Double D looked to were Eddy was pointing and saw that the room to his door was hanging open. The bottom of the door had a large dent in it, as if something heavy had crashed into it.

"What an interesting development," Double D remarked as he rubbed his chin. "Why would anyone want to break into your room Eddy?"

"Oh, oh, I know!" Ed said as he pulled a comic book out of his jacket. It was an issue of _Shocking Fantasy_ and its cover featured a group of semi-visible, humanoid monsters bursting from a closet. He showed it to Double D and Eddy. "I bet it was the Invisible Closet Monsters of the 13th Dimension! Its come to steal your sweaters in a desperate attempt to prevent the extinction of its species after their war with Mole-cows from Era-5!"

"I think not Ed," Double D sighed. He turned to Eddy. "Might I suggest that you simply…."

"I bet it's Kevin!" Eddy seethed. "That shovel chin, he must be after my magazines again."

Double D gave Eddy an incredulous look. "What, did you actually find those?"

"No," Eddy growled, still glaring at his open door. "I got more, but that's not important right now." Eddy began to creep up to his house, gesturing for Ed and Double D to follow him. "Come on, we might be able to catch him in the act." Double D sighed but followed behind Eddy with Ed bring up the rear. The three moved as quietly as possible, making sure to stay out of line of sight with the open door. Eventually, they reached the door and piled up against the side of the door frame. "Alright boys, when I count to three we charge in."

"Do we have to Eddy?" Double D asked, actually started to sweat a little. "You know how much I hate physical altercation."

"Three!" Eddy shouted as he jumped around the door frame into the room. "AHA!" He shouted pointing an accusatory finger…..into an empty room. He stood there for a moment, the triumphant look on his face quickly turning to one of confusion. Behind him, Double D and Ed stepped into the room.

"There's no one here Eddy," Double D said as he looked around the room. "It doesn't look like anyone who shouldn't have been here as been in here. Are you sure you didn't just forget to close your door this morning?"

"No, Sock-head, I didn't." Eddy growled. "Kevin's been here, I just know it!" Eddy looked around the room again. Seeing nothing, he ran out of his room and went further into his house with Double D following behind him. "Old shovel chin must have gone out the front." Running through his house, he came to the front door and threw it open. Charging out onto his front lawn, he looked around searching for any sign of Kevin. Again, he saw nothing. "Drat," he snarled as he turned back and went back into his house. "He got away, but I'll get him for this."

"Eddy, calm down!" Double D pleaded as he caught up to Eddy. "You don't even know that some unknown individual was even in your room!"

"Yes there was!" Eddy nearly shouted. "And I didn't just leave my door open. I never do that. Heck, even you saw the door! It looks like someone kicked it in!"

"True," Double D conceded. "That does strongly suggest that someone did make an unauthorized entry into your room."

"I think it does more than just 'strongly suggest' Double D," Eddy growled.

"Be that as it may," Double D continued, "you still don't have any way of proving that that unknown individual was Kevin."

"Well who else could it be?" Eddy asked.

"Come now, Eddy," Double D sighed. "Ed, yourself, and myself are hardly the most popular people in the Cul-de-Sac. Just about anyone could have done it."

"Hm," Eddy sighed as he thought about that. "I suppose you're right," he grudgingly admitted. "But I still think..." He was interrupted before he finished.

"Hey Eddy!" Ed's excited came from Eddy's room. "When did you get a mutant frog?"

"Mutant frog?" Eddy shouted back in confusion. "I haven't got a mutant frog!"

"Yes you do!" Ed shouted back. "It's right here on your bed!"

Eddy and Double D looked at each other in confusion. "I think we'd better investigate this turn of events," Double D said apprehensively. They found Ed standing over Eddy's bed looking wide-eyed at _something_ sitting on the pillow. The creature had greenish-blue skin with spots that were a darker green color. It had two ears, but they had no hollows. The strangest thing, however, was that it had a large, dark green bulb growing out of its back. The three boys stared at the sleeping creature with a mixture of awe and confusion.

"What the heck is that thing?" Eddy asked.

"Oh, I know," Ed said as he reached into his jacket and pulled out a comic book. "It's one of the mutant tulips from Plant X/2, come to Earth to conquer mankind with its tulip controlling powers!"

Doubled D sighed in exasperation. "Hardly, Ed. Allow me to examine this unknown animal in more detail." He pulled a magnifying glass out of his pocket and bent over the sleeping creature. "It's looks like a toad, but no toad I've ever seen. And this bulb! Its physically attached to its back! Its not some kind of parasitical relationship. Its actually part of the creature!"

"So," Eddy interrupted. "What is it?"

Double D looked up from his observations and shrugged. "I have no idea."

"I still think its a mutant tulip," Ed said as he bent back down over the creature. "I've always wanted a mutant of my own." He looked back up at them, eyes bright with hope. "Can I keep him as a pet guys?"

"I don't know Ed," Double D said as he rubbed his chin. "As I said, I have no idea what it even is. It could be dangerous. Besides, I think the responsibility of owning a pet might be a bit much for you Ed."

The hope fled from Ed's eyes to be replaced with despair and tears. He immediately threw himself at Double D's feet and grabbed a hold of his legs. "Please Double D, let me keep it!" He sobbed. "I've always wanted a mutant of my very own!"

"Forget about what it is!" Eddy shouted over Ed's sobs. "What's it doing in my room?!"

"I don't know," Double D said as he tried to extricate himself from Ed's teary embrace. "It could be what broke down your door. Perhaps it was hungry or looking for a safe place to sleep?"

"Bulba?" The three eds turned to the bed. The strange creature was awake and looking at them with bright, big, red eyes. It cocked his head and turned itself to look at all three of them at once. Then to the astonishment of the three eds, two green vines come out the base of the bulb to hang in midair between itself and the three boys. "Bulbasaur?" it said. There was a moment of silence and the three eds stared in surprised silence.

"What the..." Eddy muttered.

"It talks?" Double D said, his eyes going wide in excitement at this discovery. He was then knocked off his feet as Ed, his wet eyed despair completely forgotten, jumped from Double D's feet to kneel a the edge of the bed. He looked at the creature with a look of mindless glee. The creature, unsure of what to make of this event, stepped back as the vines moved to position themselves between itself and Ed.

Ed, with his absent minded smile, reached his hand out to the creature. "Hello, little fella," he said. "My name is Ed." The creature looked at Ed uncertainly for a moment. Then it smiled and placed the tip of one of its vines in his hand.

"Bulbasaur," it said, this time with a happy note.

"It likes me!" Ed shouted in glee. He then picked the creature up and started to hug it tightly. The creature was taken by surprise by this action, but quickly realized the friendly intent of the action. In response, the creature's vines wrapped around Ed and apparently returned Ed's hug.

"It looks like Ed's made a new friend." Double D said dryly. Before Eddy could reply, a loud crash came from Eddy's bathroom.

"SQUIRTLE!"

Eddy and Double D turned to the closed bathroom door. "What was that!?" Eddy shouted. He ran to the bathroom door and threw the door open. Immediately, he was blasted off his feet and across the room by what appeared to be a high pressure stream of water. He crashed against the wall and slid to the floor with a loud groan of pain. Double D stepped up to the door, making sure to keep out of the line of sight of anyone looking through the door. Cautiously he poked his head around the door and looked into the bathroom. Towels and various personal cleaning and health products were scattered across the room while the door of the shower was laying on the floor with a large crack in the middle of it. Sitting in the middle of this mess was what appeared to be a very large turtle. Strangely, this turtle was sitting upright, not on its belly like any other turtle that he was familiar with. It had a large shell that was brown on top, a pale yellow on the bottom, and a white ridge between the two halves of the shell. Sticking out of the shell were two arms, two legs, a tail, and a head all of the small light blue shade of color. It had a pair of large brown eyes that looked at Double D with bright curiosity. It smiled and clapped its two small hands. "Squirtle squirt!" It said cheerfully.

Double D carefully stepped into the bathroom and slowly approached the large turtle. He knelt in front of the turtle, uncertain of what to do. Then, remembering Ed's recent success, decided to do the same thing. He held out his hand. "Hello, my name is Edward. It is very nice to meet you."

"Squirtle!" It said happily and jumped into his arms. Double D, taken by surprise, nearly dropped the turtle, but managed to catch the thing before it hit the floor. The grip was awkward and the turtle was heavy, but he managed to hold the thing.

Back in the room proper, Eddy had regain his senses and got back to his feet. He was starting to brush some of the water off himself when Double D came back into the room. "What do you think you're doing with that thing!?" He shouted, seeing that Double D was carrying the turtle that had just blasted him off his feet. "That thing's a monster! Get rid of it!"

"Squirtle!" The turtle screamed and buried its head in Double D's chest.

"Oh, hush now Eddy," Double D said as he tried to comfort the turtle. "He's not a monster at all. I think you just startled him is all." Double D looked down at the turtle he was hold. He then turned to look at Ed, who was practically prancing around the room with the strange frog-like creature. "You know Eddy," he said with a thoughtful look on his face, "I think this turtle and the frog might actually be babies, or at least very young."

"I don't care how old they are," Eddy said angrily. "All I know is that these things broke into my room! And I want them out!"

"Charmander?" Eddy and Double D turned to the new sound. Unnoticed by any of them, a third creature had been in the room, apparently hiding in one of the corners. It looked like some sort of lizard. It stood upright on two legs, had two short arms, and a tail that had a flame burning on the end of it. It was a bright, red-orange color with a cream colored underbelly. It stared up at Eddy with bright blue eyes as it walked towards him. It stopped at his feet and looked up at him. "Char, Char, Charmander, Char." It said in what was clearly a stoic tone.

Eddy looked down at it in confusion. He was still angry about the fact that these things had broken into his house. In fact, angry was a bit of an understatement. Blood boiling furious was a more appropriate description. If anything, he should throw the things out had be done with it. If Ed or Double D wanted to look after the things then that was there business. But as he looked down at the thing, he could feel himself soften, at least a little bit. He bent down and awkwardly patted the thing on the head.

"Hey there," He said, a bit lamely. "I'm Eddy."

The lizard thing nodded its head solemnly. "Char, Char."

Eddy stared down at the flame tailed lizard for a moment before returning his attention to Double D. "Double D, your the smart guy, what are these things?"

"I must confess as to being completely clueless Eddy," Double D admitted mournfully as he gently placed the turtle thing on the floor. "I've never seen anything like these things before. They look like no animal I've ever seen. That's without regarding the fact that some of the traits of these things should be physically impossible."

"Oh, come on!" Eddy said exasperatedly. "You're the smart guy! You're supposed to know this stuff! Surly you've got something on these things in all of those books you've got?"

Double D thought for a moment. "I don't now. I might, I'd have to look."

"So then lets go to your house," Eddy said and walked towards the door with the flaming tail lizard following behind him. "Shake a leg fellas! We've gotta get there before everyone gets back."

"Right behind yea, Eddy!" Ed said following behind Eddy with the frog-plant thing riding along on the top of his head.

"Very well then." Double D sighed. He pick up the turtle and followed after his friends. "Wait up fellows!"

Fortunately for the trio, the Cul-de-Sac was deserted. Not necessary that if the other kids had been there would have been a problem. Many of the trio's scams had gone horribly wrong before, resulting in the trio having to lay low for long periods of time. As such, they had a lot of experience in moving about the Cul-de-Sac without being seen. But as none of the other kids were around and that Double D's house was only across the street, the three did not think that their sneaking skills were necessary. So they just casually left Eddy's house and made there way to Double D's house. They had just crossed the street and were coming up to Double D's house when…

"Hello! You there!" The three turned, expecting to see a group of angry kids charging at them. Instead, they saw a man striding towards them. He was tall, or at least taller than any adult they'd ever met. He wore an unbuttoned, white lab coat that bellowed behind him as he walked. Under it, he wore a dark blue dress shirt with a red tie and a pair of tan khakis. He had short cut brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a big goofy grin across his face. "I can't thank you gentlemen enough!" He said excitedly as he grabbed their hands and shook them. "You see, these let fellas only hatched about a week ago," he said as he gestured to the strange creatures. "They're babies! I was so worried when I lost these guys. They've an adventurous bunch and are always getting into trouble." He gave them a worried look. "I hope they haven't caused too much trouble. Like I said, they're babies. They haven't quite managed to get a handle on their strengths and abilities. They don't mean to cause trouble but they can lose control or get carried away. If they've caused any damage I'll gladly compensate you for..."

"Excuse me sir," Double D interrupted. "I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?"

The man laughed. "Oh, excuse me, where are my manners." He smiled broadly and even stuck a pose. "I am Anthony Hornbeam, Pokémon Professor extraordinaire!" The Eds were silent for a moment.

"Pokémon?" Double D asked.

"Professor?" asked Ed.

"Never heard of you," Eddy said.

Pro. Hornbeam smiled. "Of course you haven't! That's why I'm even here in the first place. You see, as a Pokémon Professor I specialize in introducing people to the world of Pokémon!"

"Is that what these are professor?" Double D asked as he held out the turtle. "A Pokémon?"

"Why yes my young friend, he is!" Pro. Hornbeam said. "May we take this conversation inside? I do have a lot to explain."

"Yes we can professor." Double D said. He gestured at his house. "This is where I live so if you'll be step this way." The Eds and Professor Hornbeam entered Double D's house and gathered in the living room. The Eds with the creatures took a seat while Professor Hornbeam stood in front of them.

"The creatures that you have a Pokémon," Professor Hornbeam said. He pointed to the frog thing still riding on Ed's head. "This one is called Bulbasaur." He then pointed to the turtle that Double D was holding. "This one is called Squirtle." He then pointed to the lizard that was sitting at Eddy's feet. "This is called Charmander. Now Pokémon are mysterious creatures that inhabit most parts of the world. However, there are places where, for reasons that we don't understand, have no Pokémon at all. Like this area, for example. Now, my job is to go to the areas to these areas and bring these people into the world of Pokémon. As I said, Pokémon are mysterious creatures and they have abilities and powers that we don't understand. For example, Charmander can control fire." The Charmander lifted its head, opened its mouth, and a small jet of flame came out of its mouth.

"Don't set my house on fire!" Double D screamed in alarm.

Professor Hornbeam held up his hands. "Don't worry, everything's under control. As I was saying, we humans live side-by-side with Pokémon and we complement each other. Many people keep them as pets. Others use Pokémon to help them in everyday tasks like farming or transportation. However, the popular activity that people use Pokémon for is Pokémon battling."

Eddy, who hadn't been paying all that much attention, perked up. "Pokémon battling? What like a sport or something?"

"Yes, sort of." Professor Hornbeam said. "Pokémon trainers will caught and train Pokémon for Pokémon Battling. Pokémon Battling is just as it sounds. Two trainers will get together and have their Pokémon battle each other. The battle will go on until all of the Pokémon of one trainer have fainted and the other trainer has Pokémon still able to battle."

"Does the winner get anything?" Eddy asked.

"Yes," Professor Hornbeam said. "Sometimes the losing trainer will give the winner an item of some sort. For example, most regions have gyms. At these gyms, trainers will test their skills and Pokémon against a Gym Leader, who is usually a very experienced Pokémon trainer. Beating a Gym leader gets you a gym badge, a symbol proving that you have beaten the gym. If you collect eight gym badges, you may enter that region's Pokémon League, which is essentially a tournament of Pokémon Trainers."

"What about money?" Eddy interrupted.

"Why, yes," Professor Hornbeam said, a little surprised. "Most trainers will give small amounts of money to another trainer that beats them in a Pokémon Battle. Gym Leaders will award slightly larger amounts of money to trainers who beat them along with that gym's badge. Then there are the Pokémon Leagues, which normally have a modest cash prize awarded to the winner. I do have to stress that all of these are fairly small amounts. They would usually be enough to finance a fairly successful Pokémon trainer's journey but nothing to get rich off of. Even then, money really shouldn't be a motivating factor for..."

"I'm in!" Eddy shouted. "Where do I sign up?"

Professor Hornbeam smiled. "Alright, but first we'd have to ask your parents…."

"Wait!" Ed interrupted, the withered husk that passed as Ed's brain finally comprehending what Professor Hornbeam just said. "So we'd get monsters and fight other monsters with them?"

"Well, yes," Professor Hornbeam said. "But I'd hardly call Pokémon monsters…."

"I wanna do it too!" Ed cried out. "I wanna be a monster battler!"

"Excellent!" Professor Hornbeam smiled, clapping his hands together. He turned to Double D. "Would you like to join your friends?"

Double D thought for a moment, then nodded. "Why not. It seems like an interesting endeavor. Besides, these Pokémon seem to be very interesting to me. I look forward to having the chance to study them in greater detail."

"Wonderful," Professor Hornbeam cried. "Simply wonderful. Now, we must get your parent's permission first as considering you'd be traveling to my home region of Dentor!" As it turned out, this was not difficult at all. Double D's parents, communicating through sticky notes, approved. In fact, as Double D pointed out, they seemed very happy that Double D wanted to go on such a venture. Ed's parent's also agreed, or at least his mother did. His father did not respond to the questioning of Professor Hornbeam at all. He just sat in a chair, watched T.V., and continually said "Not now. I just got home from work." Eddy's parent enthusiastically approved. However, it seemed that this enthusiasm came less from thinking the journey was good for Eddy, and more from the prospect of him being away for awhile.

"Wonderful! Simply wonderful!" Professor Hornbeam exclaimed as they left Eddy's house. "Right now fellas, I'll be around tomorrow morning to take you to the airport. I'll see you off there and it'll be straight off to the Alton Region for you. You'll arrive at Cansport Town where my sister, Maria Hornbeam, will be there to greet you. She'll give you certain items that we give every trainer who starts there Pokémon journey in the Dentor Region. After that, she'll probably give you a few pointers and then you'll be all set. So you'll have tonight to pack and I'll see you tomorrow!" He turned to leave, but then immediately turned back to the Eds. "Dear me, I almost forgot!" He pulled three red and white balls to the Eds. "Did I mention that I'll be giving you starters?"

"Starters?" Double D asked.

"Yes," replied Professor Hornbeam, "as in starter Pokémon. As a Pokémon Professor, one of my duties is to give new trainers their first Pokémon, which is referred to as a starter Pokémon." At this, a concerned look across Professor Hornbeam's face. "Would I be unduly presumptuous if I were to assume that wish to have the three that you found for your starter Pokémon?"

"What?" Eddy asked as he looked down at Charmander which had been following him. "Are these starters?"

"Yes they are," Hornbeam answered. "In fact, they're fairly common. They are not the only starters I give out. In fact, including these guys I offer a choice of twenty-one different starter Pokémon. Normally I would allow trainers to pick from those twenty-one, however, these three are the only ones who are ready to be given away. If you wish, we could wait until the others are ready and let you pick from them."

"No way Jose," Ed said as he took the Bulbasaur and gave it a tight hug. "The plant-frog mutant Bulbasaur is good enough for Ed!"

"Bulba, bulba!" The Bulbasaur cried in agreement.

"I concur with Ed's sentiments," Double D said as he patted the Squirtle on the head. "This Squirtle and I will make a great team."

"Why not?" Eddy said. "Lets get this show on the road!"

"Then that's all set then." He handed the Eds three red and white metal spheres. "These are Poké Balls. When you're not using your Pokémon you can store them in here. To activate them, just press the middle button. To release a Pokémon, simply throw the ball and shout 'go Charmander' or something to that effect and the Pokémon will be released. To return a Pokémon, point the ball at the Pokémon and say 'Charmander return' or something to that effect. Go ahead and try it now." The three Eds did and the Pokémon were returned to their Poké Balls. "Now, I am going to have to ask you to keep them stored for now, at least until you get to the Dentor Region. They're still young and do need a fair bit of rest." He then walked away from the Eds once more. "See you tomorrow fellas!"

That night was filled with expectation and excitement for the Eds. They couldn't help but eager to get their adventure started in the Dentor Region. They spent a lot of the night packing, though Ed and Eddy's method of shoving clothes into a backpack could hardly count as packing. Double D had pack with his usual care and methodical precision. He spent the rest of the night on his computer, researching all he could on Pokémon. Eddy spent the rest of the night imagining how much money he was bound to make during this adventure. Ed spent his night fondly imagining monsters, the monsters he'd catch, and the monsters he'd fight. For all three, it was a long night.

But tomorrow, their Pokémon Ed-Venture would begin.

* * *

Next time on _Pok_ _é_ _mon, The ED-Ventures_ : The Eds arrive in Dentor and have their first outing as Pokémon Trainers.


	2. First Day Trainers

**Cansport Town Airport, Dento Region**

The Cansport Town Airport wasn't much to speak of. To even call it an 'airport' was a bit of a stretch. It consisted of a runway, three hangers, and a small building that served as a control tower. In short, the Cansport Town Airport didn't see much traffic. On this day, one of the few planes it saw touched down on the runway and came to a stop at the end of the runway. Almost immediately, the plane's door opened and the three Ed's came tumbling out.

"Land Ho!" Ed cried as he hugged the ground.

"Ed," Double D said as he gained his footing. "We were on a plane, not a boat. You only say 'land ho' when you're on a boat."

"Who cares!" Eddy shouted has he stretched. "I'm just glad to be off that plane."

"Yes, it was a bit cramped." Double D admitted. "But let us put that uncomfortable journey behind us. Now where is Professor Maria Hornbeam?"

As if on cue, they heard someone shouting at them. They turned to see a woman standing next to car parked on the side of the road that ran past the airport. She was wearing a lab coat, under which she wore a red blouse and a pair of slightly wore blue jeans. She had brown hair that was tied up in a bun and bright blue eyes. She was gesturing for them to come over to her, which they did.

"Hello boys," She said cheerfully. "You must be Ed, Edd, and Eddy. My brother told me about you." They nodded. "Alright, we need to swing by the lab and get a few things sorted out." They got into the car and Hornbeam drove off. They drove into a small town, Cansport Town they supposed. It consisted of about ten houses, plus a small store and the lab. "This is the lab, boys." She said as she drove up to the lab. "Not much, I'll admit, but it gets the job down." They got out of the car and entered the lab. The lab itself was one large room with various bits of machinery and papers laying about on a few tables. "Now before we get started," Maria said as she walked to one of the tables, "You'll each need a Pokédex." She picked up three red devices and handed one to each of the Eds. "The Pokédex is essentially an electronic encyclopedia of Pokémon! With this device, you can learn about Pokémon, keep track of what Pokémon you've seen, and what Pokémon you actually have. Why don't you try them out on the Pokémon my brother gave you?"

"Sure," Eddy said as he and the other Eds got their Poké Balls out. With three loud pops, their Pokémon appeared in the room.

(Wow,) Squirtle said as it stretched. (I thought they'd never let us out!)

(Calm down,) Charmander replied. (Its only been about a day or so. You survived for that long.)

(Yeah sure, but I'm tired of just sitting around! I want some action!) Squirtle exclaimed.

(Oh don't worry,) Bulbasaur said. (We'll be seeing action soon enough.)

"To use the Pokédex," Maria continued. "Just open it up, point it at the Pokémon, then push the big red button."

"Sure can do, Miss Smart Person," Ed said as he pointed his Pokédex at Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur, the seed Pokémon," the Pokédex played in a mechanical monotone. "Bulbasaur can be seen napping in bright sunlight. There is a seed on its back. By soaking up the sun's rays, the seed grows progressively larger."

"So it's like a real plant then," Double D commented. He then pointed his Pokédex at his Squirtle.

"Squirtle, the tiny turtle Pokémon." His Pokédex said. "Squirtle's shell is not merely used for protection. The shell's rounded shape and the grooves on its surface help minimize resistance in water, enabling this Pokémon to swim at high speeds."

"Well, that might prove useful," Double D said.

"Whatever, my turn." Eddy said as he pointed his Pokédex at his Charmander.

"Charmander, the lizard Pokémon." It said. "The flame that burns at the tip of its tail is an indication of its emotions. The flame wavers when Charmander is enjoying itself. If the Pokémon becomes enraged, the flames burn fiercely."

"Right now, with that done I need to give you a few more things before you go," Maria said. She handed Double D a large blue book. "This is the Dentor Edition of the Basic Trainer Guide. Just as it says, this is a quick reference book for the basics of Pokémon Training and Pokémon Battling. It will also give you details of the Dentor Reigon and it comes with a map!" Double D opened the front of the book to find both a two page spread map and a much larger folding map in a plastic packet taped to the inside cover.

"Intriguing," Double D said as he flipped through the book.

"Also," Maria continued, "I'll be giving you each five Poké Balls." She handed each of the Eds five Poké Balls. "You'll be able to catch more Pokémon with these. You'll be able to have six Pokémon on your team at a time. If you catch more than six Pokémon they will be sent here to the lab for safe keeping. You'll be able to access them at any time using the computers at Pokémon Centers."

"Pokémon Centers?" Eddy asked.

"Yes," Maria said. "When your Pokémon battle, they'll get hurt. The Pokémon Centers are places were trainers can go to heal their Pokémon free of charge. Also, you can buy items, such as more Poké Balls, at Pokémon Centers."

"Oh, oh," Ed exclaimed happily. "So its a fortress of healing and item getting!"

"Yes, I suppose that's one way of putting it," Maria said a bit hesitantly. "Now before you go, do you boys have any questions."

"Nope!" Eddy shouted. "Lets get this show on the road!"

"Very well then!" Maria said happily. "Just head north out of town and you'll find Route 1. From there, you'll reach New Greenvale Town. There will be two routes you could take from there, Route 2 and route 7. I suggest that you take Route 2 to Westerway City. From then on, well, you can just figure that out for yourself."

"Very well, then," Double D said, closing the guide. "I suggest that we start a journey then."

With that, the three Eds trooped out of the lab. "Good lucky boys!" Maria shouted after them. "And remember, if you need help of any kind just contact me! I'll be here at the lab so you'll be able to contact me here!"

"Thank you, Professor!" Double D shouted back.

"Yes, what he said!" Eddy put in.

"We thank you for words of smartness and butter toast, oh wise woman!" Ed contributed. Maria seemed a bit nonpluses at Ed's remark, but waved to the Eds as the three started their journey.

* * *

 **Route 1**

"So Double D," Eddy said as the three walked along the path. "What have we got ahead of us?"

Double D examined the map. "Well, it looks like Route 1 is a straight path to New Greenvale Town. We should be there by nightfall."

"Nightfall, huh." Eddy thought for a moment. "Wait a minute, we're are we gonna stay? We don't have money for a hotel!"

"Well, according to the guide," Double D answered, "We'll be able to stay at the Pokémon Center free of charge."

"Free," Eddy said happily. "Is there any better word than free? Aside from money, cash, dollars, cents, or mula?"

"Comic books?" Ed asked hopefully.

"Shut up Ed," Eddy said, though without much fire.

"Oh Double D!" Ed said, his limited attention span latching on to another subject. "That smart lady said we could catch more monsters right?"

"Yes, Ed. She did." Double D replied.

"Then can I catch a new monster!" Ed cried. "Please!" He grabbed Double D and started shaking him rapidly. "Please! Please! Please! Please! Please!"

"Alright, Ed! Alright!" Double D screamed, turning a sickly shade of green. "Just put me down!"

"Oh boy, oh boy!" Ed shouted as he dropped Double D like a rock. He then looked around, searching for Pokemon. Route 1, as Double D had said, was straight, without curves or bends. There was a clear path, but it was surrounded by large patches of grass. Ed turned back to Double D. "Oh, Double D, where do you find monsters?"

"Well," Double D said as he picked himself off the ground. "According to the guide, we'll find them in the grass. However, the guide did mention that sometimes Pokémon can jump out from the grass at anyone walking by." As if on cue, a small creature jumped out of the nearest patch of grass and started squeaking angrily at the three. It looked like a small rat. It had purple fur with a cream colored fur on its underside. It had a long tail, two thick whiskers on its snout, and a set of large incisors sticking out of its mouth.

"Oh my," Double D said as he pulled out his Pokédex. "A new specimen to study."

"Rattata, the mouse Pokémon," the Pokédex said. "Rattata is cause in the extreme. Even while asleep, it constantly listens by moving its ears around. It is not picky where it lives- it will nest anywhere."

"Fear not fellows!" Ed said as he pulled out Bulbasuar's Poké Ball. "The mutant plant Bulbasuar and I will battle this new monster!" Ed through the Poké Ball but, instead of opening and releasing Bulbasuar. The Poké Ball hit the Rattata square in the face. The Poké Ball hit with such force that the Rattata was flung back several feet while the Poké Ball bounced back to Ed.

"Ed, you idiot!" Eddy shouted. "You're supposed to push that little button on the center before you throw it!"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," Ed said. He pushed the button and threw the ball again. This time the Poké Ball opened and Bulbasuar appeared in a flash of white light.

Bulbasuar looked around. (Well, that didn't take long.)

"Prepare for the monster fight Bulbasuar!" Ed cried happily.

(What?) Bulbasuar asked. (But I'm not a monster.)

(I'm going to kill that jerk!) Bulbasuar turned and saw the Rattata, a large, red bump growing on its forehead. (That freakin' hurt!)

"Fight Bulbasuar!" Ed shouted. "Fight the rat mutant!"

(Mutant!?) The Rattata squeaked.

Bulbasuar just stared. (Uh… you have to give me orders, I think.)

"Ed, you need to give Bulbasuar orders for it to battle." Double D said patiently. "Use your Pokédex to see what moves Bulbasuar can use."

"Oh….., oh yeah." Ed said. He pulled out his Pokédex, activated it, and pointed it at Bulbasuar. "It says here that Bulbasuar can use….Tackle and Growl."

(Hey! Don't ignore me!) The Rattata squeaked again.

(I don't think he's used to handling Pokemon) Bulbasuar commented sadly. (This won't end well.)

(Whatever. Since you're here, I'll just fight you!) The Rattata charged towards Bulbasuar.

"ED!" Eddy shouted. "Do something!"

"Uh,uh,uh..."Ed stammered. "Bulbasuar! Growl!"

(Okay!) Bulbasuar raised itself up as high as it could and made a deep, guttural growling noise.

The Rattata flinched, but kept on coming. (You'll have to do better than that!) He launched itself at Bulbasuar and slammed into it. Bulbasuar winced at the pain while the Rattata bounced off Bulbasuar.

"Ed, Growl is a move that doesn't do any damage to the target." Double D said. "What it does is lower the attacking power of the target."

"Attacking power?" Ed asked.

"Yes," Double D continued. "It will make the Rattata's physical attacks do less damage. If you want to do damage, you'll need to use Tackle."

"Okay then!" Ed shouted with excitement. "Bulbasuar! Use Tackle on the rat mutant!"

(Alright boss!) Bulbasuar cried back. He charged towards the Rattata and threw himself at it.

(I'm not a mutant!) The Rattata screamed before Bulbasuar slammed into it. The Rattata was sent flying again, landing in a heap a few feet away from Bulbasuar. The Rattata struggled to its feet, swaying ominously. (I'm not finished yet!) It cried as it threw itself at Bulbasuar again.

"Dodge it Bulbasaur!" Ed shouted. "Then Tackle it again!"

Bulbasuar waited until the Rattata was nearly upon it. At the very last moment, he side stepped and the Rattata sailed right past him. Or, it would have if Bulbasaur had then caught the Rattata mid-flight with another Tackle. Once more, the Rattata was sent flying. It hit the ground with a loud _thump._ It tried to rise once more, then fell back the to ground.

"Good boy, Bulbasaur!" Ed shouted. He ran forward, scooped up Bulbasuar, and took him in a mad, swirling embrace. "Good boy! Good boy! Good boy!" He chanted as he and Bulbasuar twirled around on the spot.

(Stop! Please!) Bulbasuar screamed. (I'm going to throw up!)

Ed suddenly stopped, and promptly dropped the Bulbasuar. "Wait..." he said slowly. "That smart lady said we could catch more monsters right?"

"Yeah, bone head," Eddy replied. "She did."

Ed's face then split in that big, goofy grin that only he seemed to be capable. "Then I can caught the rat mutant!" He rummaged about in his coat before finding a Poké Ball. "Oh goody, goody! Rat mutant for ED!" He drew back his arm to throw the Poké ball, only to see that the Rattata had disappeared. "What?" Ed asked as he looked around. "Where did it go?"

(Ow…..)Bulbasuar grumbled from the ground. (That hurt. You didn't have to drop me.)

"It fainted Ed," Double D explained. "If you cause enough damage to a Pokémon, it'll faint. In this case, since the Pokémon was wild, it'll vanish and you won't be able to catch it."

"Oh, dang it." Ed said as he slumped low. It even looked like he was about to cry. "But I wanted a rat mutant."

(Then you shouldn't have made me kill it then.) Bulbasuar commented.

"Don't worry Ed," Double D said as he patted Ed on the shoulder. "We'll all have plenty of chances to catch more Pokémon. This is only the first day of our journey after all."

"Yeah, so stow the waterworks and lets get moving!" Eddy as he started walking down the route again.

"Right behind you Eddy!" Ed said as he ran after him.

"Wait up, fellows!" Double D said as he followed after the two.

They didn't get far, however. As they came out of a stand of grass, someone shouted "Hey, you!" The three Eds turned to see a boy, slightly younger than the three of them running towards them. He was slightly shorter than Eddy and wore a yellow shirt, tan shorts, and a blue cap on his head. He came to a stop in front of the Eds and pointed at Eddy. "You a Pokémon Trainer?"

"Yeah," Eddy snapped back. "What's it to you?"

"I'm a Pokémon Trainer too," the boy said, "and we've locked eyes. That means we have to have a Pokémon battle!"

"We do?" Eddy asked.

"Yes!" The boy said as he pulled a Poké Ball out of his pocket. "Now get out your Pokémon and lets get started!" The boy threw his Poké Ball and, it a bright flash, his Pokémon appeared. The Pokémon appeared to be a small bird. Its coloring was a mixture of light brown and cream. The light brown ran from the top of its head, down its back, halfway down its wings, and to the end of its tail feathers. The cream ran from the bottom of its head, down its belly, and on its wing tips. There were two large black patches around its eyes while its beak and feet where a dull pink color.

(All clear and ready to go!) It chirped.

"Another specimen," Double D said delightedly as he pulled out his Pokédex and pointed it at the Pokémon. "Lets see what the Pokédex has to say about it."

"Pidgey," it said. "The Tiny Bird Pokémon. "Pidgey has an extremely sharp sense of direction. It is capable of unerringly returning home to its nest, however far it may be removed from familiar surroundings."

"Birds!" Eddy screamed. "I hate birds!"

At this, the boy looked offended. "Don't bad mouth my Pidgey you jerk!" He shouted. "Just get out your Pokémon and battle!"

"Whatever," Eddy said as he threw out his Poké Ball. "Come out Charmander!"

(I'm ready to go.) Charmander said calmly as he came out of his Poké Ball.

"Charmander, use Scratch on that birdbrain!" Eddy shouted.

(Okay.) Charmander charged forward and swung its claws at the Pidgey. The Pidgey, however, immediately took flight and Charmander's attack missed.

(I may be a bird, but I'm not stupid!) Pidgey chirped indignantly.

"Good job, Pidgey!" The boy shouted. "Now use Sand Attack!" The Pidgey started to flap its wings vigorously, kicking up a cloud of sand and dirt that engulfed Charmander.

"Sock head," Eddy cried as he turned to Double D. "What did that do!"

"It's another status effecting move," Double D explained as calmly as he could. "It'll make it harder for your Charmander's attacks to hit!"

Charmander jumped out of the cloud of dust, rubbing at his eyes as he went. (Do not worry. I can still fight.)

"Pidgey," The boy commanded. "Tackle Charmander while he's distracted!"

Pidgey swopped down, heading straight for Charmander. (Bombs away!)

"Charmander!" Eddy shouted. "Dodge it and try for Scratch again!" Charmander stood its ground as the Pidgey flew towards him and, at the last minute, sidestepped and swatted at Pidgey as it passed. Pidgey squawked as the attack landed but managed to stay airborne.

(You'll have to do better than that!) Pidgey chirped.

"Pidgey, try Tackle again!" The boy shouted.

(I'll get to this time!) Pidgey growled as it dove at Charmander again.

"Do what you did last time Charmander!" Eddy shouted. Like last time, Charmander stood its ground as Pidgey flew at him again. But this time, instead of dodging he fell down on all fours. Pidgey, who had been expecting Charmander to dodge away like last time, was caught off guard. As such, it failed to react when Charmander the jumped up and hit Pidgey with Scratch like an uppercut punch. Pidgey cartwheeled in the air several times then hit the ground hard.

"Pidgey!" The boy cried in alarm.

(I can still fight!) Pidgey cried and tried to get up. It swayed for a moment then collapsed. (Or not…) it said as it fainted.

"We'll do better next time buddy," The boy said as he returned his Pidgey. He sighed as he walked over to Eddy. He pulled some money out of his pocket and handed it to Eddy. "Here's your prize money."

"Alright!" Eddy proclaimed as he almost ripped the boy's hand off taking the money. He waved the money at Double D and Ed. "We're in green boys! With this we can easily get at least get jawbreakers for all three of us."

The boy gave Eddy a puzzled look. "Jawbreakers?"

"Yes, jawbreakers!" Eddy snapped back. "Giant, ball shaped candy that you can suck on for hours."

The boy shrugged. "Never heard of them."

The three Eds froze at that. "Excuse me," Double D asked slowly. "Do they sell jawbreakers in this country?"

The boy shrugged again. "I've never heard of them. I've never seen anything like them either. Anyway, I've got to go and get my Pidgey healed, so see ya." With that, the boy turned and ran back the way he had come. For a moment, the Eds stood in stunned silence.

"No jawbreakers?" Ed stammered, looking like the waterworks were about to start again.

"Now, don't be too hasty Ed." Double D said in an attempt to calm Ed. "He just said he'd never heard of them."

"Yeah, bonehead." Eddy said, a bit nervously. "We'll probably find some in that New Barkvile place."

"It's Greenvale, Eddy." Double D corrected.

"Whatever," he said dismissively. He continued back along the path. "Lets shake a leg boys. Time's a wasting!" For the next hour the walk down the path was uneventful. It was late afternoon before anything of note happened.

"How much further do we have to go, Sock head?" Eddy moaned. "My feet are killing me."

"Not much further now, Eddy." Double D replied while looking at the map. "We should be there within the hour, if nothing waylays us."

Suddenly, a commotion broke out on the path ahead of them. There was a lot of squeaking, wings flapping, and various sounds of several things fighting. Then there was even louder squeaking and a horde of Rattata came running into view. The Eds grabbed their Poké Balls in expectation of a fight but the Rattatas just ran past them.

(Run away!) They squeaked in panic as they ran.

"What was that about?" Eddy asked.

"I have no idea," Double D replied. "I think there's something ahead of us that scared them. Shall we investigate?" Quietly, the three Eds crept up along the route. They came to a place were the route widened by a significant degree creating a large, open space. There, standing in the middle of the route was a Pidgey. However, this Pidgey was different. Not only was it slightly bigger than the one Eddy had fought, it had a golden coloring as opposed to the light brown of the a fore mentioned Pidgey.

"What!?" Eddy exclaimed. "Another bird!"

(What!) The Pidgey huffed. (I am not _just a bird!_ )

"But its different from the last one." Double D commented. "The coloring is different."

(I'm not just different.) The Pidgey continued. (I'm a superior breed of Pidgey. You will not find a Pidgey who is more noble, more regal, more eloquent than myself.)

"Oh, I know what it is." Ed said as he pulled a comic from his coat. "It's the Golden Bird of Del-Boni! It lays golden eggs which hatch into copper dragons that plot to take over the world with the power of bacon!"

"No, Ed," Double D said as patiently as he could. "It's a Pidgey. We saw one earlier, remember? This one is just a golden color instead of brown."

"Well whatever it is," Eddy cut in, "we need to get rid of it."

"Very well then." Double D said as he stepped forward. "Since you two have already battled today I think I'll take a turn at it." He took out his Poké Ball and released his Squirtle.

(Alright, is it my turn?) Squirtle asked as he appeared.

(What? You wish to fight me?) The Pidgey scoffed. (Very well then. I suppose I have the time to spare.) With that, it flapped its wings and kicked up a cloud of dust.

"Squirtle! Dodge the dust and use Tail Whip!" Double D commanded.

(Roger Wilco.) Squirtle jumped to the side, just barely getting clear of the dust cloud. He then turned his back to the Pidgey and wagged its tail at it.

(Don't you dare taunt me!) The Pidgey squawked in anger. (I teach you to show proper respect!) The Pidgey then flew up high in the air and then dropped down towards the Pidgey like a rock.

"Squirtle, Tackle Pidgey using your shell!" Double D shouted. Squirtle dropped on all fours and positioned itself so that his shell was facing the Pidgey. Then, using all four limbs, launched himself up at the Pidgey. The Pidgey, angry and too proud to back down, slammed headlong into Squirtle's shell with a loud _thunk_. The two fell to the ground. Squirtle pushed the Pidgey off of him and quickly got to his feet. The Pidgey, clearly dazed by the impact, struggled to get up again.

(Insolent reptile,) The Pidgey murmured. (I'll….teach you to…..give me a…..headache.)

"Good job Squirtle," Double D cheered. "Now use...wait. Hold on." He took out one of the empty Poké Balls that the Professor had given him. Taking careful aim, he threw the ball at the Pidgey. The throw was not every good, absolutely terrible in fact. Double D had never been anything other than abysmal at anything involving physical activity. Fortunately for him, even this horrible throw was good enough. The ball hit the Pidgey and it was sucked into the ball in a flash of red light. The ball caused and fell to the ground while the center button glowed red. The ball shook. It shook again. The ball shook for a third time. Then, with a loud click, the ball stopped shaking and the center button stopped glowing. The three Eds just stared for a moment.

"Did it work?" Eddy asked.

Double D slowly walked up to the Poké Ball and picked it up. "I think so, Eddy."

Suddenly, Ed launched himself at Double D and embraced him in a bear hug. "Hooray for Double D!" He shouted happily. "He caught a monster!"

Squirtle then latched himself on Double D's leg. (Hey! Don't forget about me!)

"Thank you Ed," Double D gasped as he extracted himself from Ed's smelly embrace. He then gently pulled Squirtle off his leg and patted him affectionately on the head. "You did very good for your first battle Squirtle. I couldn't have done it without you.

Squirtle beamed. (It was nothing, really).

Double smiled at Squirtle as he returned him to his Poké Ball. "I think you've earned yourself a rest."

"Right, now if your done," Eddy said, interrupting the moment. "Lets get moving. It's getting dark and all this walking is making me beat." He went back to walking at a surprising brisk pace, considering he'd just complained about being tired. "I want to get to this Pokémon Center before all the rooms are taken."

"Right behind you Eddy." Ed said as he ran along behind him.

"Wait for me fellows!" Double D cried as he followed along behind them.

And with that, Ed, Edd n Eddy began their Pokémon Adventure.

* * *

Next time on _Pok_ _é_ _mon, the ED-Ventures_ : The Eds arrive in New Greenvale Town and discover more of the ins and outs of being Pokémon trainers.

Well, two chapters down, hopefully I can keep it up. Now a lot of you will think that it's stupid, lazy, or whatever, that the first capture of the story, let alone of one of the main characters, was a shiny. And you'd probably be right. In my defense, I'd like to say that this was based on something that actually happened to me while I was playing an X version. The first Pokémon I ran into that I could catch was a shiny Pidgey. The only difference was that while Double D was successful in his attempt to capture the Pidgey, I was not. Unfortunately, my Chespin got a critical hit with a Vine Whip and got a K.O. I promise though, aside from one other incident involving a shiny I intend to put in this story, I wouldn't be doing something like this again.


	3. Stopover in New Greenvale

**New Greenvale Town**

By the time the Eds had finally reached New Greenvale Town, the sun had almost completely set. Or at least, it was dark enough for the few lampposts that New Greenvale Town had to be lit. New Greenvale Town wasn't large, only just barely big enough to be called a town. There was a large building that was clearly meant to be the town center. The rest of the town had been built around it in almost a circular pattern. There was a ring road that encircled the town, while a handful of roads branched off from it into the town. These roads then converged and formed a second, smaller ring road around the town center. The Eds' destination, the Pokémon Center, was located on the outskirts of the town. Unfortunately, it was on the far side of the town in relation to where Route 1 came into the town. This meant that the Eds would have to walk through the entire town to reach it. As they walked, Double D couldn't help but stop every couple of feet to examine the architecture of the town.

"Fascinating." He said as he examined the buildings. "Simply fascinating. These buildings are clearly very old. From the beginning of the last century I suspect." For the most part they were. Aside from the occasional modern looking building or modern accessory, the buildings were clearly old. There were constructed of worn looking bricks with black roof titling. They wouldn't have looked out of place in documentary. "I've only ever seen pictures of buildings like these. I've never would have thought that there would be a whole town of buildings like these."

"That's really interesting Sockhead," Eddy said sarcastically. "But if you don't mind, GET A MOVE ON!" He screamed. "We've got better things to do than study buildings!"

Double D went red. "Keep your voice down Eddy." He said hurriedly as he looked around him. "You can't just scream at the top of your lungs at this time of the day. You'll be disturbing people."

"Well how can I stay calm when you're getting on my nerves like this." Eddy complained. "Seriously, you've stopped to look at every building we've past! They can't be that interesting."

"That's right Double D." Ed said. "For we must reach the fortress of healing so as we can continue our journey through the land of monsters."

"Ed, for the last time, Pokémon are not monsters." Double D said. "And if it'll make you happy, I will try to restrain my academic studies of these marvelous constructions so as we can acquire some accommodation and refreshment at the Pokémon Center."

"Yes it would." Eddy growled. "Now get a move on. I'm beat."

"South to Jamaica Double D." Ed added absently.

The Pokémon Center, keeping in form with the rest of New Greenvale Town, was an older building. It looked like an old fashion hunting lodge, constructed out of various types of wood. It was three stories tall with a triangular shaped, red shingled roof. Attached to the face of the building was a large red P set in front of a disk of metal painted like a Poké Ball.

"Here we are." Double D said. "This must be our destination."

"Finally," Eddy moaned as they entered the building. They entered a large, comfortably furnished lobby. There were a couple of tables and chairs, a few couches, and small green machines that looked like a combination phone and computer lined along one wall. On the far side of the wall was a reception desk that looked straight out of a hospital. Standing at that desk was a pink hair woman wearing the typical garb of a nurse. The woman smiled at the Eds as they approached the desk.

"Good evening." She said cheerily. "Welcome to the Pokémon Center. We heal and restore your tired Pokémon. Would you like to make use of our services?"

"Yes, we would." Double D said as they placed their Poké Balls on the desk. "We would also like to rent a room for the night if that is possible."

"We have rooms available, yes." The nurse said as she placed the Poké Balls on a tray. She then handed the tray to a large pink Pokémon who then disappeared with them into a back room. "I just need you to fill out some forms."

As Double D worked on getting a room, Eddy's attention had been caught be something on the wall. He walked over to take a closer look. It was a notice board. What had caught his attention was a large notice that had "WANTED" and "REWARD" printed on it. In truth, he'd been more attracted by the "REWARD" part of the poster.

"Hello," he muttered to himself. "What have we here?"

"WANTED," the poster read, "by Dentor Marshals. Nickolas Rogerson. Wanted on charges of Theft, Fraud, Forgery, Assault, Conspiracy to Commit a Crime, Corruption of a Public Official, Intimidation of Witness in a Criminal Trial, and Intimidation of Witness in Civil Trial. Is believed to still be active in Dentor Region. Is also believed to be the founder and current ringleader of the Black Badge Gang. Under no circumstance should this individual be approached. Any information regarding the location of this individual is sought be the Dentor Marshals. Call (254) 639-5579, ask for Detective Thomas Marter. Reward will be paid out on the arrest of the individual. REWARD: $10,000.00." The poster also had a large picture of Nickolas Rogerson printed on it. The man appeared to be in his early forties, with short, black hair and brown eyes. The picture showed him as being clean cut, with a round face and fairly soft features. The picture showed the face smiling, even with a twinkle in the man's eye. He looked more like someone's kindly uncle than some sort of criminal mastermind.

"A first class scammer if ever there was one." Eddy commented with a chuckle. "You don't fool me for a second buddy." He studied the poster for a moment. On the one hand, he wasn't the type of person who would turn a fellow scammer in. So far as he was concerned, it was a matter of professional pride. On the other hand, money was money. Even more so, $10,000.00 was more money than he had ever had. Perhaps it would he worthwhile to keep an eye out for this Nickolas fellow. His inner debate did not last long however.

Ed came flying out of nowhere and all but body slammed Eddy, who only barely managed to stay on his feet. "Whatcha doing Eddy?" He asked.

"Get off me Lumpy!" Eddy grunted as pushed Ed off. "Double D got the room yet?"

"Yes siry bob," Ed said. He then grabbed Eddy and slung him of his shoulder. Ignoring Eddy's complaints, Ed followed Double D as he lead them to their room. The room was rectangular in shape. Two bunk beds were pushed against the long sides of the room. Pushed against the opposite short wall was a desk that just barely fit between the two beds. The only window in the room was in the that same wall as the desk and gave a fairly good view of the street outside.

"That's it?" Eddy asked looking around the room. "There's not enough room to sling a dead cat in here."

Ed, for reasons best known to himself, decided to test this. He threw his arms out and spun around. His arms hit Eddy, then hit one the bunk beds, rebounded off and hit Ed in his own face. "Yup, Eddy." He said. "No room to butter your toast at all."

"Ed," Eddy growled, his temper rising as he rubbed the back of his head. "I GONNA…."

Double D jumped forward, slapping his hand over Eddy's mouth and muffling the rest of what he said. "We need to be quiet Eddy." He whispered hurried. "There other guests staying here. If we're loud and disturb them, we'll get kicked out."

Eddy glared at Double D but nodded his head in acknowledgment. Double D removed his head. "Alright, alright, geez." He looked around the room again. "Is there a bathroom."

"There's a communal bathroom down the hall," Double D said as he climbed into one of the beds. "That's also where the showers are. Now we'd better get to bed. We've got a big day tomorrow."

"Do we?" Eddy asked. Ed, meanwhile, had draped himself over one of the beds and was already asleep.

"Yes," Double D replied. "Tomorrow we need to trek through the Greenspur Forest to Westerway City. Westerway City is where the first gym is and it's not going to take us all day to get through the Greenspur Forest. In other words, it is highly probable that we will participate in our first gym battles tomorrow."

"Alright!" Eddy said as he jumped into bed. "Then get to sleep Sockhead so we can be ready for tomorrow!"

"Right,"Double D said dryly as he situated himself in his bed. "Goodnight." It wasn't long before both they were both asleep.

* * *

 **Meanwhile, back at the Cul-de-Sac**

It had been a long day and Kevin was absolutely bushed. Chores, chores, and more chores. That had pretty much been the tempo of the day. But now, the day was done, the chores were completed, and now he had a full night's worth of rejuvenating sleep ahead of him. He sighed contentedly as he fell into bed. It wasn't long before is tired body succumbed to sleep. But before his mind slipped into sleep, something began to niggle at the back of his mind. He couldn't put his finger on it, and in all honesty he really did not want to puzzle it out right now. At any rate, if it was anything important he would remember it eventually.

* * *

 **New Greenvale Town, the Next Day**

It had been uneventful night for the Eds. The beds had been comfortable enough, so the trio had gotten a decent night's sleep. In fact, the most trouble they'd had was in the morning. Specifically, getting Ed into the shower. To anyone who knew Ed, they'd know that his defining trait was an absolute lack of hygiene. This was self imposed as the prospect of being clean apparently terrified him. As a result, trying to get him to clean himself was almost a lesson in futility. In the end, all they had managed was to get him into one of the shower stalls long enough for him to be rinsed by the running water. So far as Eddy and Double D were concerned, that was as far as they were willing to go and just left it at that. So after the three were mostly clean, they went down to the lobby. There they had found a complementary breakfast laid out, which consisted of cereal, some bacon and eggs, and a few fruits. They also found little packets filled with what seemed to be pet food. Double D picked up one of the bags and examined it.

"Pokéchow?" He asked aloud as he read the label. "Delicious and nutritious food for all of your Pokémon's dietary needs." Mentally, Double D kicked himself. Their pokémon needed to eat like any other living creature. Why hadn't he thought of that before? Quickly, he grabbed four of the packets and for bowls. He went over to the table that Ed and Eddy were sitting at. He sat the four bowls down and filled each bowel with the pokéchow. "You need to call out your pokémon out," he said. "We need to feed them."

"Crap," Eddy said as he released Charmander. "I didn't think about that."

"Okay Bulbasuar," Ed said. "Time for grub."

"Sorry guys," Double D said as he released Squirtle and Pidgey. "I forgot."

(Oh, boy!) Bulbasaur cried as he started eating out of one of the bowls. (Food!)

(Finally.) Squirtle said. (I didn't think they'd ever feed us.)

(What is this?) Pidgey said as he inspected the food. (Do they expect me to eat this refuse?)

(Well, if you don't want it I'll eat it.) Squirtle offered. Pidgey huffed, then began to eat out of his bowl. Charmander didn't comment. He simply sat at his bowl and started eating.

(So, does anyone know what's on the agenda for today?) Bulbasuar asked.

(I don't know for sure.) Squirtle replied. (I suspect we'll be taking on one of those gym things.) He turned to Pidgey. (Do you know if there are any gyms about?)

(I have no idea.) Pidgey grunted while swallowing some food. (I was wild until yesterday as you'll recall. I know nothing of what humans do or their establishments. Besides, I never had any reason to fly far from the nest. And quite frankly, I would have preferred to stay there.)

(You're just sore that you were captured.) Charmander commented.

(Of course I am.) Pidgey huffed. (What self respecting pokémon wouldn't be?)

(Hey, now wait a minute.) Squirtle said, jumping to his trainer's defense at the implied insult. (I don't mind having a trainer. He's just fine.)

(Having a trainer is alright with me,) Bulbasuar put in. Charmander simply nodded in agreement.

(That's because you were born and raised around humans.) Pidgey said. (You were never wild like I was. Our situations are completely different.)

(So then you regret being captured?) Charmander asked.

Pidgey didn't answer right away. (I have to admit,) he finally said, (I'm not sure. On the one hand, I am going to miss the freedom being wild entailed. On the other hand, the prospect of seeing more of the world does have a certain charm to it I suppose.) He then gave his food another distasteful look. (And even if its quality is questionable, the prospect of not having to worry about were the next meal is coming from is certainly a positive.)

(Don't worry.) Squirtle said cheerily as he clapped Pidgey on the back. (You'll get used to it eventually. And who knows, you might just have a grand old time of it.) Pidgey grunted noncommittally and went back to eating. Meanwhile, the Eds had been discussing their next destination.

"So next stop is that Westerway City right Double D?" Eddy asked.

Double D nodded as he laid out their map of the region. "We are here." He pointed to a small dot on the map denoting New Greenvale Town. "We are on a peninsula." Double D continued. "According to the guide, it's recommended that new trainers complete the three gyms on the peninsula before moving over to the mainland. The first gym and our destination for today is here." He pointed to another dot that was labeled Westerway City. "Between Westerway City and us is Greenspur Forest, which is what we need to get through today. If we make good time, we should be able to reach Westerway City with more than enough time to challenge the gym before it closes for the day."

"So what this gym like anyway?" Eddy asked.

"Well according to the guide," Double D said as he read the guide. "The gym leader is a man named Greg. Apparently, he specializes in bug type pokémon though it doesn't list what specific pokémon he uses."

"We got anything good against them?" Eddy asked.

"At the moment, you and I do," Double D said as he flipped to a different part of their guide. "According to this, bug types are weak against fire, flying, and rock types."

"So then what have we got?" Eddy asked.

"My Squirtle is a water type while Pidgey is a normal/flying type." Double D answered. "Your Charmander is a fire type and Ed's Bulbasaur is a grass/poison type."

"Great! So Charmander and I are going to totally clean this guy's clock." Eddy said, rubbing his hands together with glee.

"Its not that simple Eddy." Double D replied. "You have to remember, we are beginners while he's an experienced trainer. He'll obviously have a complete and comprehensive understanding of his pokémon's strengths and weaknesses. He's sure to have ways of countering his pokémon's type weaknesses. Even then, types are not the only consideration in a pokémon battle. I'd like to remind you that no one had the type advantage in our battles yesterday and they didn't just screech to a halt because of it. You need to take what the pokémon can do into account."

"You're over thinking this Double D." Eddy said as he stretched back in his seat. "Charmander and I will be just fine. Isn't that right Ed."

"Pass go and collect two-hundred dollars Eddy." Ed said.

"Whatever." Eddy said. He looked over at his Charmander. Seeing that he had finished eating, he returned him and got up from the table. "Come on boys! Lets go and get a first badge."

"Hold on Eddy," Double D said as returned his pokémon. "We need to get some supplies before we go."

"What for?" Eddy asked. Eddy loved money, but he really didn't like to spend money. Though, the only exception to this would be jawbreakers. "Why do we need stuff like that if we can get it for free at a Pokémon Center?"

"Because we can't spend every night at a Pokémon Center." Doubled replied. "Besides, we won't make much headway in our journey if we're constantly running back to a Pokémon Center every time our pokémon are low on health. And besides, we need to have a supply of food for our pokémon and ourselves."

"Alright, alright." Eddy complained. "Where do we get this stuff."

"At a place called a Poké Mart." Double D answered. "I saw one last night. Its just down the road."

"Then lets get it over with." Eddy as he and Ed followed Double D out. The Poké Mart was a large white building with a bright blue roof. Its interior reminded the Eds of the supermarkets back home. There were a series of checkouts near the entrance while the rest of the floorspace was given over to racks of merchandise. As it turned out, while they were called Poké Marts, they served the same purpose as supermarkets. There were items for pokémon and their trainers there were also the kind of every day commodities that were needed for every day life. Since the Eds were low on funds, they had to by the cheapest, and thus the weakest, forms of potions. They also bought food for themselves and their pokémon as well as a handful of extra Poké Balls. There was one item that they looked top and bottom for but couldn't find. Unfortunately for them, they soon found out why.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T SELL JAWBREAKERS!" Eddy roared, almost foaming at the mouth.

"We just don't sell them!" The unfortunate cashier cried as he cowered behind a desk. "They're not made in Dentor! They have to be imported from other countries! No one in Dentor keeps them in stock because there's no a demand for them."

"NO DEMAND!?" Eddy screamed. The only reason why he hadn't leap on the cashier was that Double D had grabbed a hold of both of his arms and was holding him back. Ed, meanwhile, was curled up on the floor in a fetal position.

"Say it ain't so Double D!" He sobbed. "Ed can't stand no jawbreakers!"

"Ed." Double D said, managing to drag Eddy away from the cashier. "Please take Eddy and wait outside."

"But Double D..." Ed whinned.

"Ed." Double D said sternly and pointed at the door. "Go." Still crying, Ed took Eddy and carried him out of the Poké Mart. They sat on the curb outside, Ed still crying while Eddy fumed. It wasn't long to Double D walked out with their purchases. He packed their purchases away and glared at Eddy.

"There was no need to do that Eddy." He scowled. "They nearly called the police."

"It's not my fault." Eddy shot back. "They're supposed to sell jawbreakers!"

"Not when there is no one who buys them." Double D argued. "Especially when it costs a small fortune to ship a handful in from someone who does make them. Besides that's a Poké Mart, not a candy store. Maybe will find jawbreakers if we find a candy store."

"Whatever Sockhead." Eddy growled. "Lets just get moving."

"Yes, lets." Double D said as he glanced nervously back at the Poké Mart. "They said they wouldn't called the police, but I'd rather not stick around if they change their minds."

"Right behind you guys." Ed said tearfully. As it turned out, New Greenvale Town was practically on the board of Greenspur Forest. It was so close that that it seem that the where the town stopped, the forest began. All that sat between the two was a waist high stone wall, which looked about as old as the rest of the town. The only break in the wall was a small building, which appeared to be a gate house. As it was the only place to get through the gate, and it was where the route went, the Eds entered the building. The only thing inside the building was desk, at which sat a very bored looking man flipping through a magazine. The man looked up as the Eds entered.

"You boys going through Greenspur?" He asked.

"Yeah, what's it to yea?" Eddy snapped.

The man shrugged. "Nothing really. I'm just supposed to tell you that the Stantlers are back again."

"Stantlers?" Double D asked.

The man gave them a look. "You're new around these parts aren't you?"

"As new as freshly toasted onions, oh gatekeeper of keepyness." Ed replied.

The man gave Ed a confused look. "What?"

"Ignore him." Eddy said as he pushed Ed out of the way. "So what's the problem?"

"Well normally, Greenspur Forest is pretty calm and quite most of the year." The man said. "However, were at that time of the year where a species of pokémon known as Stantler start migrating. While Greenspur Forest isn't on their migration route, some do wander in and out of the forest. Now, there is a somewhat similar pokémon in the forest called Deerling. Deerling are normally are timid and do their best to avoid fights. However, there's something about Stantler that gets them riled up. They get unusually aggressive and will attack anything, particularly the Stantler, on sight. Naturally, this riles up all the other pokémon and they also get more aggressive than they usually are. There's nothing in the forest that's particularly dangerous so it usually isn't a problem, but it never hurts to be prepared." The man gave a knowing grin. "It also helps with the liability concerns if some idiot actually does get themselves hurt."

"We'll keep that in mind." Double D said. "We appreciate the warning."

"Whatever." The man said as he returned to his magazine. "Have fun." And on that note, the Eds left the gate house and entered Greenspur Forest.

* * *

 **Cul-de-Sac**

Kevin's day had started with, surprise surprise, chores. Specifically, it started with having to mow the lawn. He complained bitterly under his breath as he pulled the push mower out of the garage. He hated mowing the lawn. It was loud, smelly, hot, and, worst of all, boring. The only bright spot to the whole thing was that he only had to do it once every couple of weeks. But there was no use putting it off so, putting aside his annoyance, he got to work. He had done about 1/4th of the lawn before a thought struck him.

Hadn't something been bothering him last night?

He thought for a moment before he realized yes, something had been bothering him. In fact, it was still niggling at the back of his mind. But what was bothering him? He still couldn't put his finger on it. No matter how hard he thought about it, it still seemed to allude him. Had he forgotten to do something? No, he couldn't think of anything he could have forgotten to do. Besides, if he had forgotten to do something someone would surely have reminded him. He shrugged inwardly as he went back to work. It would come to him eventually.

It hadn't occurred to Kevin that perhaps what was bothering him had nothing to do with him exactly. It had never occurred to him that the problem was that _something_ was missing. Or rather, _someones_ were missing.

* * *

Next time on _Pokemon, the Ed-Ventures_ : The Eds run into a bit of trouble in Greenspur Forest.


	4. Misadventures in Greenspur Forest

**Greenspur Forest**

No sooner had the Eds left the gatehouse than they were waylaid by a Bug Catcher. Apparently, the man had been waiting right outside the gatehouse to challenge anyone who happened to come through. Double D, deciding to try battling Pidgey for the first time, accepted the challenge.

"Wow," the Bug Catcher said upon seeing Pidgey, "A shiny!"

"What?" Double D asked.

"It's a shiny! How do you not know?" The Bug Catcher exclaimed. Upon seeing Double D's confused expression, he explained. "Shiny pokémon are pokémon that are born with an abnormal color. For example, Pidgey is normally a light brown color while yours is a golden color. Shiny pokémon are very rare and most trainers can go through entire journeys without seeing one. Seems you've run into a bit of good luck."

(See, I told you that I was a superior Pidgey!) Pidgey chirped at Double D, even striking what it thought was an eloquent pose.

"I had no idea." Double D said thoughtfully. "It seems I have a lot more to learn about pokémon. Thank you for enlightening me on the subject of Shiny Pokemon."

"No problem," the Bug Catcher said as he pulled out his Poké Ball. "But enough of the gushing. Lets get this show on the road." He threw his Poké Ball and in a bright flash his pokémon appeared. The pokémon looked almost exactly like a massive ladybug. Its body was red and cream, with several black spots on its back. It had six arms, two large eyes, and two black antenna sticking out of its head. It immediately took flight, making a low buzzing noise while doing so.

(Oh no.) It moaned. (I have to fight a Pidgey. I'm no good with flying pokémon.)

(No use complaining about it.) Pidgey said as he also took flight. (Just take comfort in the fact that you'll be defeated by a Pidgey of superior breeding.)

(No I will not.) The bug pokémon shot back. (And besides, aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself?)

"Pidgey use Tackle!" Double D commanded.

(Don't worry! I've got the skill to prove it!) Pidgey surged forward, hitting the bug pokémon head on. The bug pokémon was sent spinning away before regaining control of its flight.

"Ledyba, you use Tackle!" The Bug Catcher shouted.

(Payback time!) Ledyba squeaked as it smashed into Pidgey. Pidey lost control and fell a few feet before leveling out.

"Use Sand Attack to lower its accuracy!" Double D shouted. Pidgey landed and, using his wings, scooped up some dirt. He then flung the dirt at the Ledyba and got it full on in the face.

(My eyes!) It screeched as it tried to rub its eyes clean.

Meanwhile, Eddy and Ed had been watching the battle. Eddy had been expecting Double D took whip out his Pokédex and identify the pokémon. That had been the standard procedure since they'd started. He was the brains of the group after all. But he hadn't done it this time, so it seemed the job fell to him. Sighing, he pulled out his Pokédex and pointed at the large bug. "Ledyba, the Five Star Pokémon." It said. "They are timid and grow uneasy when not in a swarm of others of their kind. The pattern on their backs differ slightly from one to another."

"Whoop de doo," Eddy grunted. "When are we gonna see some cool stuff?" There was a loud _thump_ , and Eddy looked up to see the Ledyba fainted on the ground. The Bug Catcher returned the Ledyba and sent out another pokémon. Unsurprisingly, it was another bug pokémon. It had a small round body colored red with a cream stripe on the front and a black mark on its back that looked like a cape. Circling around its head was a cream colored structure that looked vaguely like a collar. It had a red nub for a nose, two black antenna, and two small pairs of hands and feet.

Eddy, with his Pokédex still out, identified this new pokémon. "Kricketot, the Cricket Pokémon." The Pokédex said. "It chats with others using the sounds of its colliding antenna. These sounds are fall hallmarks." Meanwhile, Double D and recalled Pidgey and sent out Squirtle.

(Another day, another battle.) Squirtle said as he stretched. He then noticed Kricketot. (So, you're the first for today?)

(It seems so.) The Kricketot said as its antennas clacked against each other.

"Squirtle, give it a Tackle!" Double D commanded. He charged forward and jumped at the Kricketot.

"Kricketot, use Bide!" The Bug Catcher commanded. Kricketot began to glow red just before Squirtle smashed into it. The Kricketot was pushed back a few feet but stayed upright.

The Squirtle was confused by Kricketot's apparent lack of reaction. (Okay, what's going on?)

(You'll find out.) The Kricketot growled rather squeakily.

"Squirtle, give it another Tackle!" Double D shouted. Squirtle tackled the Kricketot again, still not seeming to get a reaction out of it. Instead, the red aura that surrounded Kricketot began to glow brighter. "Oh dear," Double D said, thinking hard as to what to do next. Clearly, something bad was about to happen, and attacking was only making it worse. There was nothing he could do to raise Squirtle's defense and attacking didn't seem like a good idea. So there was only one thing he could do. "Squirtle use Tail Whip!)

(I don't see what good it'll do, but you're the boss.) Squirtle said as he turned a wagged his tail at the Kricketot.

(Now you're gonna get it!) Kricketot squealed. It immediately shot forward and slammed into Squirtle with extreme force. Squirtle was sent fling, bounced off a tree, and went bouncing across the clearing before skidded to a stop at Double D's feet.

"Squritle!" Double D screamed in alarm. "Are you alright?"

Squirtle struggled to his feet and shot Double D a grin. (I'm hurtin' but I can still fight.)

Taking the grin as the affirmative it was, Double D commanded. "Tackle once more! That ought to end this battle!"

(That was your chance and you failed!) Squirtle roared as he charged Kricketot. (And now you're gonna pay the price.) He slammed into the Kricketot, and it went bouncing back towards its trainer. It came to a stop, tried to get up, then fainted.

"Well, that's it for me." The Bug Catcher said as he returned his Kricketot. He handed Double D some prize money and went on his way.

Double D smiled at Squirtle as he pulled a potion from his backpack. "You did a very commendable job in that battle Squirtle."

(Aw, shucks boss,) Squirtle said, blushing slightly. (It was nothing really.)

"Now that our combat is over, I will need you to drink this medicine." Double D pulled the cap off the potion and handed it to Squirtle. "This is a potion. When you drink this you'll regain most of the health that you lost in that battle."

(Alright.) Squirtle took the potion and downed it in one gulp. He nearly gagged. (Disgusting! That's supposed to help?) He paused, his eyes going wide. (Wait a minute.) He looked down at himself, seeing that all of the scuffs and bruises that he had had vanished. (Well, what do you know. It actually worked.)

"Now that that settled, take a well earned rest." With that, Double D returned Squirtle. "Well then fellows, shall we continue?"

"Hey Sockhead," Eddy asked as they continued into the forest. "That Bug Catcher guy said that your Pidgey was a shiny right?"

Double D, who had pulled out his guide and was looking into that very thing, nodded. "Yes. The guide says the same thing as well."

"And he said that they were rare right?" Eddy continued.

"Yes…." Double D answered slowly. He didn't quite like were this was going.

"Rare, as in, valuable rare?" Eddy asked. He had a certain look in his eye, a certain look that Double D had privately called his 'I've thought of a way to make money' look.

"No." Double D said firmly. "I'm not selling my Pidgey." Eddy didn't say anything but continued to give him that look. "Eddy!" He said, his voice sharper now.

"Alright, alright!" Eddy said, putting his hands up in a placating gesture. "Sheesh, can't a guy make a joke."

"Not about that Eddy," Ed cut in. "For the bond between monster and tamer is as hard as my underwear on Thursday, or the newspaper under my bed."

Eddy and Double D looked aghast. "Okay," Double D said. "That's a thing I'm going to work really hard to scrub from my mind."

"Same here," Eddy added. "Ed, what is it with you? Didn't anyone ever teach you how to clean?"

"No can do Eddy." Ed said. "For cleanliness is like itchiness. It's bad for Ed."

"Oh, forget it." Eddy said, throwing up his arms in exasperation. "Lets just get moving."

 _Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep._

"What's that?" Eddy asked, looking around. "What's beeping?"

"Oh," Double D said, reaching into his pocket. "It's me."

"RUN!" Ed shouted, grabbing Eddy and jumping behind a tree. "Double D's gonna explode!"

"Eddy! Let go!" Eddy shouted, struggling to get free of Ed's grasp. "He's not going to explode!"

"Calm down Ed!" Double D shouted, pulling out his Pokédex. It was making the beeping noise and a small light was flashing. "It's just my Pokédex!"

"Oh," Ed said. "Alright." He dropped Eddy and came out from behind the tree.

"I don't know why I stay friends with you," Eddy growled under his breath. "Sockhead, why is it beeping?"

Double D examined his Pokédex. "Apparently, it seems that my Squirtle learned a new move. It's called Water Gun."

"That's it?" Eddy asked.

"Yes." Double D replied as he put his Pokédex away. "According to the Pokédex, Water Gun is a water type move. Because Squirtle is a water type pokémon, the attack gains a power boost. It's called a same-type attack bonus. I believe that will be a useful piece of information to remember."

"Sure, if you say so." Eddy commented noncommittally. "Now if we're done with the distractions, lets go!" For the next few hours, the tempo of the Ed's journey through the forest was as follows; jumped by wild pokémon then battle trainer, repeat. On the pokémon front, the trio were practically wading through bug type pokémon. Not to say that the pokémon gave them much trouble, particularly when Eddy's Charmander learned Ember. Double D had wanted to stop and examine each one they came across. Eddy, his temper at the boiling point, had had to forcebly drag Double D by the collar to keep the group moving. On the trainer front, it was mostly Bug Catchers with the occasional School Boy. The results of which were a decent chunk of money in their pockets. As for their pokémon, Eddy's Charmander had learned Ember, Double D's Pidgey learned Gust, and Ed's Bulbasuar had learned Vine Whip and Leech Seed. They had almost reached the end of the forest before a thought occurred to Eddy.

"Hey Double D, we're near that Westerway City right?" Eddy asked.

Double D consulted his map. "Yes, it shouldn't be far now."

"Well I was thinking," Eddy continued. "Didn't that one guy say something about running into Deerling or whatever they were called."

"Yes, he did." Double D said thoughtfully. "And now that you mention it, we haven't seen anything like that have we? Its all been bug type pokémon. Nothing resembling a deer or other such animal to be seen."

"Do you think they were all eaten by those Stantler thingies?" Ed asked. "Or maybe the Swamp Monster of the Mossy Lagoon? Or perhaps the Treeman from Delta-7? Or maybe even the Werewolf of Portland?" As he made this guesses, he pulled comics out of his jacket that featured each of the a fore mentioned monsters.

"No Ed." Double D sighed. "More likely they are just in another part of the forest." Suddenly, off to their right, came a loud screeching call. Then came the sounds of several things smashing through underbrush. "Oh dear," Double D said nervously. "I do believe something's coming our way."

"You don't say?" Eddy muttered sarcastically as he pulled out Charmander's Poké Ball.

Ed, on the other hand, jumped behind Double D and cowered behind them. "Don't let the monsters get me guys!"

"Ed, they're not monsters!" Eddy shouted in irritation. "It's just..." He voice was drown out as the underbrush to their right practically exploded with motion as fourteen creatures came charging out into the road. They resembled small deer, but their ears and tails were bigger and they had a large flower growing out of the tops of their heads. Its body was a bright pink color along the top and a white color along the bottom. The Deerling growled at the Eds. Several every shook their heads and stamped the ground in a clearly threatening manner.

"I take it those are the Deerling." Double D commented nervously as he pulled out his Pokédex.

"Deerling, the Season Pokémon." It said. "The turning of the seasons changes the color and scent of this Pokémon's fur. People use it to mark the seasons."

"They don't look happy." Eddy commented dryly as he pulled out Charmander's Poké Ball. "Looks like will have to teach them a lesson."

"I don't think that's a good idea Eddy," Double D said, edging back from the group of angry Deerling. "They've got us outnumbered to quite a significant degree."

"Well, we're going to have to fight them anyway!" Eddy growled. "Seems to me that we're going to have to get past these things to get to Westerway City. Unless you plan on trying to reason with with them, we're going to have to fight them."

"But we're out numbered," Double countered. "And our pokémon are not in tiptop fighting shape."

"These guys don't look to tough." Eddy laughed. "Charmander wouldn't have a problem taking these guys!"

"Eddy," Double D scolded. "You shouldn't overwork your pokémon like that."

"Now's not the time for lecturing." Eddy growled. "Now get your pokémon out and…." Eddy was cut off as Ed grabbed him and slung him under his arm. He then grabbed Double D and threw him over his shoulder. He then turned and ran back the way they came. The herd of Deerling, caught off guard, hesitated for a moment before chasing after them. "ED!" Eddy screamed. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

"Do not worry fellows!" Ed shouted as he ran. "I, Ed, will get us to safety!"

"But Ed," Double D shrieked. "You're going the wrong way!"

"No I'm not." Ed replied. "I know just the place!" He ran until they reached a clearing that they had passed earlier. The clearing was bordered with several large, sturdy looking trees with long, thick branches. Ed, in one of his moments were he seemed to defy every conceivable law of physics, _ran_ up one of the tree without missing a step. He only stopped when he reached the highest branch that would hold them. He placed Eddy and Double D on the branch then leaned triumphantly against the tree. "There. We are now safe." He proclaimed proudly.

"No," Eddy growled. "We are _now_ stuck in a tree!" He gestured to the Deerling, which were now gathered around the base of the tree. "Unless you have a way of getting rid of them."

"Nope." Ed said with a big grin.

Eddy sighed as he slapped his palm across his face. "Way to go, Lumpy." He turned to Double D. "What type were these pokémon again?"

Double D consulted his Pokédex. "It's a dual normal/grass type."

Eddy thought for a moment. He looked down at the Deerling. He took notice of the fact that while they seemed willing to wait them out, they couldn't get up the tree. An idea occurred to him. "Hey Sockhead, do we have anything that would be effective against them?"

"Yes." Double D answered. "Your Charmander and my Pidgey." At that moment, realization hit Double D. "Oh, I see. We are in the tree and they're unable to climb the tree to attack us. Nor do they know any attacks that can reach us. This negates their numbers advantage. On the other hand, your Charmander knows Ember. It's a fire attack that Chamander can use against them without leaving the tree. Also, my Pidgey can fly and very easily avoid their attacks."

"Exactly." Eddy smirked. "So lets get started then." Eddy sent our his Charmander while Double D sent out his Pidgey.

(Okay,) Charmander said looking around. (Why are we in a tree?)

Pidgey sniffed. (Might I suggest looking down?)

(Oh,) Charmander said as he looked down and saw the herd of Deerling. (How did this happen?)

(I have no idea.) Pidgey said as he took flight. (But I suppose we'll have to deal with it.)

"Charmander, use Ember!" Eddy shouted.

"Pidgey, use Gust!" Double D commaned.

(See?) Pidgey flapped its wings hard, kicking up a powerful wind current. Meanwhile, Charmander opened its mouth and started shooting small fireballs at the Deerling. The effect of this on the Deerling was dramatic. Several Deerling were blown off their feet and were sent sliding across the clearing. Others were hit by Charmander's Ember which, while not actually setting them on fire, certainly caused them extreme pain. As a result of these attacks, several of the Deerling fainted. The remaining Deerling panicked and bounded away in all directions. Once the last Deerling was out of sight, quite settled on the clearing.

Suddenly Eddy's Pokédex started to beep. Eddy pulled it out and examined it. "Huh, apparently Charmander learned something called Smokescreen." He laughed. "No need to guess at what that does."

"I think they're gone." Double D ventured after a few more seconds.

"Good." Eddy said as he returned Charmander and started to climb down the tree. "Hurry up you two. We've lost enough time as it is."

Double D snorted. "It hasn't even been five minutes."

"Hey, time is money," Eddy snapped. "And I…."

"Love money," Double D finished. "Yes, yes, I know." However, no sooner had the three climbed out of the tree when something significantly larger than a Deerling came charging out of the underbrush at them. "Back up the tree!" Double D screeched. The Eds scrambled back up the tree and had just managed to reach a branch to perch on before the thing slammed into the tree. The tree shook and the Eds clung tightly to the tree to keep from falling. Once the tree settled, the Eds looked down to see what had hit the tree. It looked like a deer, except it was bigger. Its body was a light brown with a cream colored underbelly. It had a large dark brown nose and a large bushy tail. It had a pair of large, yellow antlers with small black orbs on them, giving the impression that the antlers looked vaguely like eyes. The pokémon snorted and pawed the ground. It glared up at the Eds and snorted again.

"And that," Double D said as he pulled out his Pokédex, "must be a Stantler."

"Stantler, the Big Horn Pokémon." It said. "Stantler's magnificent antlers were traded at high prices as works of art. As a result, this Pokémon was hunted close to extinction by those who were after their priceless antlers."

"Well then," Double D said. "I suppose we'll have to fight this pokémon as well."

"No kidding." Eddy said sarcastically. The Stantler headbutted the tree again, causing it to shake again.

"Uh, guys?" Ed asked nervously.

"I don't think this will be as simple as the Deerling Eddy." Double D said.

"What do you mean?" Eddy asked. "Will just do the same thing we did with the Deerling."

"Guys?" Ed asked again, now sounding scared.

"Well Stantler is a normal type." Double D explained. "We won't have the type advantage."

"But this time we've got numbers on our side!" Eddy argued.

"True," Doube D conceded. "But I think this Stantler is more powerful than the Deerling."

"I'M A GONE GOFFER GUYS!" Ed screamed.

"What the…!" Eddy turned to were Ed had been clinging to the branch only to see that Ed was no longer there. Suddenly, the Stantler made a loud squealing, screeching noise. Eddy and Double D looked down to see that Ed had fallen from the branch and landed on the back of the Stantler. The Stantler reared and then began to buck, trying to throw Ed off its back.

"HELP!" Ed screamed as he held onto the Stantler for dear life.

Eddy and Double D scrambled back down the tree. "Don't worry Ed!" Double D shouted. "We'll think of something!"

"It's simple." Eddy said. "Will just knock out the Stantler."

"No! We can't!" Double D countered. "If we attack the Stantler, we might hit Ed!"

"So then what do we do?" Eddy growled in annoyance.

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, Ed had the same idea. "I need your help my mutant frog friend!" Ed shouted as he threw Bulbasuar's Poké Ball. It went spinning off at an angle before releasing Bulbasuar, who went skidding across the ground from momentum.

(Yikes! What was that?) He looked around before seeing the bucking Stantler with Ed clinging to its back. (What on earth is going on here?)

"Bulbasuar!" Ed shouted. "Use your Vines of Whipiness to trip up this raging deer of rage!"

(Okay!) Bublasuar said as a vine shot out from Bulbasuar's bulb. The vine swung out in front of Stantler and hit its front legs. It swept the front legs out from under Stantler and kept going, doing the same to its back legs. The Stantler fell forward hard, its face slamming hard into the ground. Ed lost his grip and was sent flying. His flight was short lived as he smashed headlong into the tree, actually embedding his head in the tree.

Upon seeing this, Eddy burst out laughing. Double D, on the other hand, ran over to head. "Ed!" Double D wailed. "Are you alright?"

Ed was still for a moment then, bracing his hands against the tree, pulled himself out. "Just getting my daily fiber Double D." He said cheerfully. He looked over at the dazed Stantler, pulling a Poké Ball out of his pocket. "New monster for Ed!" He cried happily as he threw the Poké Ball at the Stantler.

(For the last time,) Bulbasuar growled as the Stantler disappeared into the Poké Ball. (We are not monsters!)

"Ed, please get it right." Double D begged. "They are Pokémon, not monsters." The Poké Ball clicked, and Ed scopped up the Poké Ball.

"New monster!" He cried.

Bulbasuar sighed. (I give up).

"You did good, my mutant plant frog buddy." Ed said as a retrieved Bulbasuar's Poké Ball. "You take a nice rest and I'll reward you with butter toast and gravy later."

(What?) Bulbasuar asked as he disappeared into the Poké Ball.

"Right, yes. Good job, congratulations, kudos, whatever." Eddy said as he began to push both Ed and Double D back the way they came. "Lets just get going before something else shows up!" As it turned out, nothing did. By the looks of things, they had scared off the rest of the Deerling while there were no other Stantler in the immediate vicinity. The only thing that did stand in their way was one last Bug Catcher that was hanging around the exit to the forest.

"Ed will fight this opponent!" Ed announced when the Bug Catcher challenged them. "For I would like to test out my new monster!" With that, he sent out Stantler.

(Ow, what hit me?) Stantler looked around. (So I was captured?)

"Come on out Yanma!" The Bug Catcher shouted as he sent out his pokémon. The pokémon was essentially a gigantic dragonfly. It had a red, segmented body with two pairs of white wings with red bands on them, six legs, and two spikes on its tail. It also head a large head with a green band that ran across its face, two eyes, and two spiked antenna sticking out of its forehead.

Double D pulled out his Pokédex and examined the pokémon. "Yanma, the Clear Wing Pokémon. Yanma is capable of seeing 360 degrees without having to move its eyes. It is a great flier that is adapt at making sudden stops and turning midair. This Pokémon uses its flying ability to quickly chase down targeted prey."

(You're going down buddy!) Yanma buzzed.

Stantler pawed the ground. (Well, so long as I get to fight I don't mind having a trainer. Prepare to get squashed you oversized Caterpie!)

"Yanma, use Quick Attack!" The Bug Catcher commanded.

Yanma shot forward at an incredible speed and slammed into Stantler's left side. (Wow, you're fast!) Stantler snorted as he stumbled to the side. (That will make things interesting.)

"Stantler, use Leer!" He commanded. Stantler's eyes glowed bright red and contorted its face into a rictus grin. The Yanma shuttered.

(You...You'll have to do better than that!) Yanma buzzed timidly.

"Use Quick Attack again Yanma!"The Bug Catcher shouted. The Yanma shot at Stantler again but this time Stantler managed to sidestep at the last moment. As a result, Yanma shot past Stantler without hitting him.

"Stantler, use Tackle!" Stantler charged after Yanma and smacked it with his antlers. The Yanma went spinning out of control before slamming into a tree branch. The Yanma grabbed hold of the branch before falling and hug their for a moment. (Ow. I hate hitting trees.) Yanma complained.

"Yanma, use Quick Attack!" The Bug Catcher commaned.

"Stantler, use Tackle!" Ed shouted.

Yanma shot off the branch towards Stantler. At the same time, Stantler charged towards the Yanma. The two slammed together forehead to forehead with a hollow _thud_. For several moments, the two remained in this position as if neither attack had done any damage. Then Yanma fell to the ground in a dead faint.

Stantler held his head up high and snorted with triumph. (Take that!) After which, the Bug Catcher returned his pokémon, handed Ed his prize money, and went on his way.

"Well that's that then." Eddy said as they left the Greenspur Forest. Like at New Greenvale Town, the route out of the Greenspur Forest went through a gatehouse. Unlike the gatehouse at New Green Town, this one was unoccupied. "Goobye forest, hello city!" Stepping out of the gatehouse, the Eds found themselves on a paved road. There was no grass or anything were a pokémon would be hiding. However, while there were several open spaces, there were a few houses lining the road. "What route is this Double D?"

Double D consulted the map. "According to this, we're in Westerway City."

"Really?" Eddy asked, looking over the few buildings that were in sight. "This is a city?"

"Well according to the guide and map," Double D answered. "These are the outskirts. We'll get into the city proper soon." Sure enough, as they continued to walk down the road more and more buildings began popping up. Eventually, the Eds found themselves in a full blown city.

"The big city fellas," Eddy said look around. "Is there any place on earth that's better to make a big buck?"

"Mole Town from Invasion of the Mallet Men?" Ed asked.

"No, Ed." Double sighed. "Before we do anything, might I suggest that we proceed to the Pokémon Center and heal our pokémon? We do have a Gym Badge to earn after all."

"Alright then," Eddy said as he just walked off in a random direction. "To the Pokémon Center!"

"Right behind yea Eddy!" Ed said as he followed.

"Wait!" Double D cried as he ran after them. "That's the wrong way!"

* * *

Next time on _Pokemon, the ED-Ventures_ : The Eds take on the Westerway City Gym.


	5. Party Status Update 1

Some reviews had suggested that I have something that keeps track of the status of each character's party. I had always intended on doing this. I just wanted to do something other than putting them at the end of the chapters. It seemed to me that putting that information at the end of every chapter seemed a bit redundant, since it seemed to me that a lot of the time the information was the same. So I've decided to do a Status Chapter every once and awhile. Essentially, I will be doing one of these every couple of chapters or so. Not sure if it'll work well or not but I'm going to give it a go. And since one review did ask, I'd like to point out that I am going to stick to the four moves per pokémon rule. Sorry, but that's just how I want to do it.

 **Eddy**

 **Name:** Charmander

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 11

 **Ability:** Blaze

 **Moves:** Scratch, Growl, Ember, Smokescreen

* * *

 **Double D**

 **Name:** Squirtle

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 9

 **Ability:** Torrent

 **Moves:** Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun

 **Name:** Pidgey

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 10

 **Ability:** Keen Eye

 **Moves:** Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust

* * *

 **Ed**

 **Name:** Bulbasuar

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 10

 **Ability:** Overgrow

 **Moves:** Tackle, Growl, Vine Whip, Leech Seed

 **Name:** Stantler

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 8

 **Ability:** Intimidate

 **Moves:** Tackle, Leer, Astonish


	6. Westerway City Gym: VS Greg

Before we get started, I do have a belated announcement. Due to some things that have come up, I've had to devote the vast majority of my attention to other things. Which is why its been a bit more than two months since I updated this story. This is not to say that I'm abandoning the story or going on hiatus. It just means that for the foreseeable future updates will be infrequent. I going to keep working on the story, I just have less of an opportunity to work on it.

And with that out of the way, on with the chapter.

* * *

 **Westerway City**

The Westerway Pokémon Center was much like the one they had stayed in in New Greenvale Town. There was a large lobby with tables, chairs, couches, the phone-computer hybrid things, and the reception desk. There were only two significant differences. The first was that there were a few television screen placed around the lobby, each of which was playing a different channel. The second difference was that the furnishings had a much more modern look. However, there was one thing that was exactly the same as the Pokémon Center in New Greenvale Town. And that was the woman standing at the desk.

"This that the woman from the last center?" Eddy asked rubbing eyes.

"No," Double D answered. "That's a different Nurse Joy."

"You mean like a clone?" Ed asked.

"No, Monobrow," Eddy sighed. "She's probably a sister or something."

"Or something is about the size of it." Double D said as he pulled out his guide. "Apparently the Joy family is quite extensive." He turned to a specific page and showed it to Ed and Eddy. The page was part of a chapter that talked extensively about Pokémon Centers. Specifically, in this case, it was talking about who ran the Pokémon Centers. About ¼ of the page was taken up by what looked to be a family picture. What caught Ed's and Eddy's attention was that everyone it the picture was practically a carbon copy of each other. The only noticeable differences were the ages and that the children weren't wearing nurse uniforms. "And the familial resemblance is quite remarkable as well." Double D said dryly.

"They are clones!" Ed cried happily.

"A whole family of look-a-likes?" Eddy asked incredulously. "What is this!? Some kind of cartoon or lazy fan fiction? When does something like that _ever_ happen in real life?"

"Now, apparently." Double D said putting the guide away. "Might I suggest that we heal our Pokémon and proceed to challenge the gym?"

"Sounds like plan." Eddy replied. "Lets get to it boys." Once their pokémon were healed, the trio made their way to the gym. The gym was a large, dome shaped building located on Westerway's main street. Above the buildings doors was a large LED sign flashing the message 'Westerway City Gym. Now Open for Challenges.' "That's it. Our first gym." Eddy commented. "Doesn't look to impressive."

"Well what were you expecting?" Double D asked. "The Flavian Amphitheatre?"

"What?"

"The Coliseum."

"Well, yeah." Eddy commented as he gestured at the rather plain looking building. "I thought these gyms were supposed to be important."

"Well according to the guide," Double D said as he pulled out said guide. "The Westerway City Gym was one of the first gyms built when Dentor first established their league. Apparently they were on a bit of a shoestring budget."

"Do not doubt the Dome Eddy." Ed added. "For the Dome is the cornerstone of creation and existence." There was a pause. "And the key ingredient to buttered toast."

"I'm just gonna ignore him." Eddy said. "Now then, badge time." The trio entered the building and found themselves in what appeared to be a waiting room. The overall coloring of the room was tan, dark tan on the walls and a lighter tan on the ceiling and the laminate flooring. Pushed into one corner were a handful of rather shabby looking chairs. At the front of the room was a small, wooden desk upon which sat a computer and a telephone. Sitting at the desk was a woman who was working on the computer.

"You here to challenge Greg?" She asked, not turning from here computer.

"Yes," Double D answered. "Do we need to…."

"He's in the middle of a challenge right now." The woman cut Double D off. She gestured to the chairs. "Just wait there until he's finished. You'll be able to challenge him then."

"Oh, alright then." Double D said as the three took their seats.

"What a dump." Eddy said as he looked around the room. Upon closer inspection, the room was quite shabby. Aside from the dubious chairs, the laminate on the floor was scuffed in several places. The paint of the wall was faded in several places and there several marks of varying descriptions of the walls. The ceiling was also missing several drop-out panels, revealing the various pipes, wires, and insulation. On top of all that, there was a very fine layer of dust over everything in the room. It gave the impression that not only was the place not cleaned regularly, long term maintenance was not high on their list of priorities. "You sure we're at the right place?"

"Yes Eddy." Double D said as he continued to read his guide. "According to this, the Westerway City Gym is infamous for being underfunded. Its been rundown for years now. Apparently, the city and the league can't agree on whose supposed to be funding it."

"Really?" Eddy asked. "If they can't figure that out, then how did it even get built?"

"According to this, the normal procedure is that the league provides the funding for the construction of the gym." Double D said as he looked through the guide. "After that, the city is supposed to provide for upkeep. In this case, it seems Westerway City doesn't want to keep up its end of the bargain."

"Why's that?" Eddy asked.

"It doesn't say." Double D said as he put the guide away. "But if I may turn this conversation to more eminent matters, I think it unwise that you challenge the gym with only one pokémon."

"Not this again," Eddy moaned. "Charmander is going to do just fine. Like you said, he's got an advantage of this guy's pokémon. We're gonna clean this guy's clock in no time flat."

"You're being overconfident Eddy." Double D admonished. "As I said before, the Gym Leader is going to be more experienced then any of us beginners. He'd probably be able to work around his type disadvantage against you. And even if he doesn't, don't you think it's unreasonable for you to have Charmander carry the whole battle for you?"

"You're worrying too much." Eddy replied airily. "Isn't that right Lumpy?"

"One in the bacon is worth six in the toothpaste Eddy." Ed said solemnly, as if he'd made some profound observation as oppose to useless gibberish.

"Yeah, what he said." Eddy commented. Before Double D could counter that, somewhat _flawed_ , line of reasoning, a set of doors on the opposite side of the room opened and a boy stepped out. Looking rather pleased with himself, he spoke with the receptionist briefly and walked out. The receptionist typed a few things into her computer before looking up at the Eds.

"You're free to challenge Leader Greg now," she said. "You might as well all go in at once since your part of a group." At that, she promptly returned to here computer.

"Alright then," Double D said getting up from his seat. "Shall we get started gentlemen?" The trio walked through the doors and found themselves in a small hallway. At the end of the hallway, they found themselves on what appeared to be a basketball court. The difference was that there were no hoops, less lines, and the court itself was raised off the floor by a foot or so. The room itself was lite with several large lights that were attached to the ceiling. The long sides of the court were bordered by stands of bleachers that went seven seats high. The opposite side of the court had no bleachers but there was a door.

Eddy looked around the room in annoyance. "Well? Where's the Gym Leader?"

Mere seconds later, the door opened and a man stepped out. He was tall, thin man. He was shaved bald but had a black goatee, which stood out prominently against the man's pale complexion. He wore a light blue jumpsuit over which he wore a light black jacket. At his waist he wore a belt that had two Poké Balls attached to it. He smiled at the Eds as he stepped up onto the field. "Sorry boys, I was in the back healing my pokémon. My name is Greg and I'm the leader of this gym. I have to say its been a busy day. You three will make thirty challengers today."

"Do you usually get many challengers in a day?" Double D asked.

Greg shrugged. "Not this early. Usually they don't start coming in large numbers until around the middle of the season. That's when trainers normally start their journeys actually. But I doubt you came here to listen to me lecture on the intricacies of running a gym."

"No, we came to win badges!" Eddy declared.

"Alright then," Greg said as he pulled a Poké Ball from his belt. "Who's up first?"

"Oh me, me, me, me!" Ed cried. "I'll go first!" Before either Eddy or Double D could object, Ed leaped onto the field and pulled out a Poké Ball of his own. "Its time for fighting Monster Deer Friend!" He shouted as he sent out Stantler.

(Monster Deer?) Stantler asked, giving his trainer a questioning look. (Did I miss something?)

"….Interesting nickname," Greg commented as he sent out his pokémon. "Show them what you can do Paras!" The pokémon that appeared from Greg's Poké Ball vaguely resembled a cicada. It had an oval shaped, segmented body that was a bright orange in color. It had three sets of legs, of which the front pair were significantly larger than the other two and ended in a sharp point. It had two large eyes, a mouth with six large teeth, and two mushrooms growing out of its back.

(No rest for the weary I suppose,) Paras commented sadly.

* * *

"What the heck is that?" Eddy asked as Double D wipped out his Pokédex. "Some kind of crab?"

Double D didn't answer, choosing to like the Pokédex answer for him. "Paras, the Mushroom Pokémon." It said. "Mushrooms called tochukaso sprout from its back. They can be dried and powdered to make a medicine used to extend life."

"Extend life..." Eddy commented, shooting a look at Double D.

"Don't look at me." Double D said as he raised his hands defensively. "This kind of chemistry and medicinal acumen is well beyond my realm of competency."

* * *

"Stantler, use Tackle!" Ed commanded.

(Here I come!) Stantler snorted as it charged towards Paras. It tried to scuttle out of the way but Stantler lowered his head, caught the Paras in its antlers, and flung it into the air. It cartwheeled in the air a few times before hitting the gournd.

"Slow it down with Stun Spore!" Greg shouted. Paras started shaking and a glittering, yellow powder came of its mushrooms. As it shook, more and more powder came off until a slight cloud of the powder hung in the air. The cloud of powder than began to float towards Stantler.

"Don't let it touch you Mutant Deer Friend!" Ed cried. Stantler easily pranced away from the floating cloud of stun powder. However, during all of this Paras had been producing more stun spore. So that when Stantler moved out of the way of the first cloud, he accidentally moved right through the second cloud. At first, it seemed that it had had no effect. But then, its movements became jerky and it slowed down dramatically. "Are you alright Mutant Deer Friend?"

(What's going on?) Stantler grunted. (I can't move properly!)

* * *

"What was that Sockhead?" Eddy asked. "What did that Stun Spore thingy do?"

"It's a move that causes a status condition." Double D replied as he looking into his guide. "Its a move that affect a pokémon's ability to battle. In this case, Stun Spore causes Paralysis. Paralysis reduces the speed of the pokémon and even as the chance of immobilizing it for a few seconds."

"Really?" Eddy asked. "Are there any more?"

"There are several actually." Double D answered as he put the guide away. "But we can go over them later."

* * *

"Paras use Scratch!" Greg commanded.

Paras scuttled forward and started slashing at Stantler with its front legs. Stantler tried to move away, but found that its legs didn't want to cooperate. Instead of moving normally, it stumbled and fell to the floor. As such, it was helpless as Paras scratched at it. (Ha! Lets see you try and throw me again!)

"Use Leer Stantler!" Ed shouted. Stantler raised its head off the floor. It glared at Paras, snarling and snorting with a malicious glint in its eyes.

(Oh, now you're gonna get it.) He growled at Paras.

Paras flinched and scuttled back slightly. (Th-that's what you think!)

"Paras," Greg shouted. "Use Absorb and gain some health back!" Paras started to glow green, as did Stantler. Then orbs of green light began coming out of Stantler, floated over to Paras, who would then absorb them. Each time this happened, Stantler grunted in pain while Paras seemed to become rejuvenated.

"Gain health back?" Ed asked.

"Absorb is an attack that takes health from the opponent then adds it to the health of the pokémon that used it." Greg explained.

"Oh, well, I guess I can't let that happen again." Ed said simply. "Stantler, give it another Tackle!" In a supreme effort, Stantler jumped to its feet, gave an almighty snort, and launched itself at Paras. Paras tried to shuffle out of the way but it had been to close to Stantler and didn't have the time. As a result, Stantler hit Paras head on with enough force to send Paras bouncing across the field. It came to a stop in front of Greg, on its back and clearly unconscious. Stantler stood for a moment, then collapsed himself.

(I don't think I can fight anymore.) He groaned.

"Well, it looks like you've won that round." Greg said as he returned Paras. He then pulled a second Poké Ball from his belt and sent it out. "Now lets see how you handle this guy. Come on out Beedrill!" The pokémon that appeared resembled a giant bee. It body was segmented into three parts. Its top segment was the head, which had a pair of antenna and two large, red eyes. From its middle segment protruded a set of wings and two sets of legs. Two of the legs ended in large javelin-like stingers while the other two were used for standing. Its bottom segment was the largest of the three and had a large stinger on the end of it. Its entire body was a bright yellow, with two black bands on the bottom segment.

* * *

"You know the drill Double D." Eddy said lazily.

Double D sighed as he pulled out his Pokédex. "You do remember that you have a Pokédex yourself right?"

"Beedrill, the Poison Bee Pokémon." It said. "Beedrill is extremely territorial. No one should ever approach its nest-this is for their own safety. If angered, they will attack in a vicious swarm."

"So essentially it's an oversized bee." Eddy commented.

"I guess so." Double D replied. He studied the Beedrill for a moment. "You know, I think I might be interested in getting a Beedrill of my own."

"No way, Sockhead." Eddy snapped. "You're not getting a bee. Remember what happened the last time we messed around with bees?"

"All to well." Double D replied. "Though as I recall," he added quietly, "you didn't get stung."

* * *

"You did good Stantler. There will be butter toast for you later." Ed said as he returned it to its Poké Ball. "You take a good rest now. Now it's your turn to fight Bulbasaur!"

(Ready to fight!) Bulbasuar cried happily. He then saw the Beedrill. (Well, well, well. Looks like I have got a challenge today!)

(Don't get carried away.) Beedrill buzzed. (I won't go down easily.)

"Breedrill!" Greg shouted. "Use Fury Attack!" Beedrill flew towards Bulbasaur and, staying just out of reach, unleashed a fury of jabs at Bulbasuar using its two javelin-like stingers. Bulbasaur managed to dodge two of the strikes, but three hit home.

"Bulbasaur, use your Seed of Leeching attack!" Ed shouted.

(If you mean Leech Seed, then sure.) Bulbasaur hunched forward so that its bulb was facing Beedrill. Two small seeds shot out of the bulb and hit the Beedrill's middle segment. Once they made contact, vines whipped out the seeds and wrapped themselves tightly around Beedrill. It fell to the floor as it tried to untangle its wings and arms. Suddenly the vines began to glow and energy was drained from Beedrill and absorbed by Bulbasaur.

"Quickly Bulbasaur, give it a Tackle while it can't move!" Ed shouted. Bulbasaur charged forward, but before it made contact, Beedrill got its wings free and took flight. Bulbasaur slide to a halt and glared at the Beedrill now hovering out of reach.

"Beedrill, use Poison Sting!" Beedrill suddenly drove down, pointing its single large stinger at Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur jumped to the side to doge it but Beedrill, anticipating the move, adjusted course at the last minute and the stinger hit Bulbasaur. It force of the impact sent Bulbasaur skidding across the field, but it managed to keep its feet. The seeds glowed again and more of Beedrill's health was suck away.

"Bulbasaur! Use your Vines of Whippyness to bring down the Bee Monster!" Ed commanded. Two vines shot from Bulbasaur's bulb and went towards Beedrill. It managed to dodge the first vine, zigzagging its way out of the vine's reach. It was not so lucky with the second however. The second vine managed it wrap itself around the bottom segment of Beedrill's body. Beedrill tried to pull away, but the vine's grip held tight thus allowing the first vine to take hold of Breedrill. Now tightly secure, Bulbasaur used its vines to slam the Beedrill onto the floor with a loud _thump_. Beedrill, its wings still free, immediately to flight again and tried break away from the vines.

"Give it another Fury Attack!" Greg cried. Beedrill shot towards Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur, who's efforts had been focused on keeping the Beedrill from getting away, was caught off guard and couldn't react in time. This time all five of Beedrills jabs hit home on Bulbasaur. Then, the seeds attached to Beedrill glowed again and sucked more of Beedrill's health.

"Use your vines once more!" Ed shouted. Using all of its remaining might, Bulbasaur lifted the now weakly struggling Beedrill high into the air then slammed it into the floor again. This time, Beedrill did not try to fly again. Bulbasaur withdrew its vines, taking some mercy on the Beedrill. Beedrill lay still on the floor for a moment, then weakly tried to stand. But then, the last of its endurance failed at it fell back to the floor in a dead faint.

Greg sighed as he returned Beedrill. "Thanks Beedrill. We'll have better look next time." He turned to Ed. "Congratulations young man," Greg said as he walked up to Ed. "You've defeated me in an official Gym Challenge. As such, in accordance with rules and regulations of the Dentor Pokemon League and by the power invested in me as a Gym Leader, I present you with the Swarm Badge." He took the badge from his pocket and handed it to Ed.

"Oh boy!" Ed cried happily as he held the badge up. It was made a brownish colored piece of metal with had be sculpted to resemble a small swarm of bugs. "Way cool!" Ed shouted as he turned to Eddy and Double D, his arms open wide. "Hug me!" He shouted as he embraced to two in a bone crushing hug.

"ED! LET GO OF ME!" Eddy screamed as he tried to extract himself from Ed's embrace.

"I can't breath!" Double D moaned.

"Well, you're an expressive guy aren't you." Greg commented, not quite sure what to make of Ed's display. "If you'll excuse me for a moment, I need to heal my pokémon. Once I've done that I can face the next challenger." With that, Greg walked back to his side of the field and back through the door he'd earlier come out of.

"Well gentlemen," Double D said as he finally managed to get free of Ed. "Which of us is going to challenge him next?"

"I will!" Ed declared. "I will fight for the prize of the Badge of Authoritativeness!"

"Shut up, Lumpy." Eddy said, giving Ed a good slap to the back of the head. "You just got your badge remember?"

"Four score and seven years ago, Eddy." Ed replied absently.

"Why do I even try?" Eddy groaned. "Anyway, you can challenge him next Double D. I want some time to think." Which was somewhat true. In point of fact, he wanted to see if Greg would try to pull any tricks on Double D that he hadn't pulled on Ed. After all, it was all ways a good idea to make someone else find things out the hard way.

"Very well Eddy." Double D said.

It wasn't long before Greg reappeared and took his place on the field. "Alright, which one of you is next?"

"I am." Double D said as he stepped onto the field. He pulled out a Poké Ball and sent out his pokémon. "It's time for battle Squirtle."

(I'm ready for action boss!) Squirtle declared as he appeared on the field.

"Well, its back to work Paras." Greg said as he sent out his pokémon. "Lets get things started with a Stun Spore!"

(It's going to be a long day.) Paras sighed as it started to produce the paralyzingly powder.

"Squirtle, use Water Gun to disperse the spores!" Double D commanded. Squirtle sprayed the air with water. The water collected the spores and dissolved them and, given the momentum of Squirtle's Water Gun, the water ran harmlessly off the field. "Now use Water Gun on Paras!" Squirtle responded by blasting Paras head on with a stream of water. Paras was pushed back slightly, but appeared to suffer little to no ill effect. "Oh dear, that didn't seem to work."

Paras smacked its two front legs together. (Ha! You'll have to do better than that!)

"What're you doing Sockhead!" Eddy roared. "That Pokédex thing said that Paras is part grass type. And last I checked, grass types resist water type attacks!"

Double D blushed. "I guess I forgot."

Squirtle shrugged. (Well, you can't get it right all the time.)

"That's alright." Greg chuckled. "Most new trainers get these things wrong when they first start out. You'll get it down pat in no time, don't worry about it. But back to the battle. Paras, use Scratch!" Paras scurried forward and slashed at Squirtle with its sharp front legs. Squirlte grunted as the sharp point scrapped across his shell.

"Use Tackle!" Double D commanded. Squirtle shoulder charged Parais, knocking Paras sideways a few feet.

"Paras use Absorb!" Greg shouted. Squirtle started glow green, then cried out in pain as his health was sucked away from him.

"Give it another Tackle Squirtle!" Squirtle lunged at Paras, smacking it back another foot or so. But this time, there was clearly less power being it. Squirtle staggered and had trouble keeping its balance.

"Use Absorb again!" Greg shouted. Squirtle glowed again as more health was drained away. He fell to all fours, but hadn't fainted yet.

Double D thought quickly. Squirtle was clearly not going to last another attack. Also, if he kept Squirtle in, Paras would continue to gain health. The fact that the attack that was draining Squirtle and reinvigorating Paras had the type advantage against Squirtle made the situation even worse. There were two options. He could try to do a bit more damage to Paras before it knocked out Squirtle or he could switch out to Pidgey. He had gone over the rules and they had said that such a move would be legal and Leader Greg hadn't said that they couldn't. He held up Squirtle's Poké Ball. "Squirtle return!" Squirtle disappeared it his Poké Ball. He then pulled out Pidgey's Poké Ball. "Pidgey, I need your help!"

(Prepare for the might of my superior breeding!) Pidgey declared as he appeared on the field.

"A Shiny." Greg commented. "Don't see many beginners with one of them. Paras use Absorb!" Pidgey glowed green and, while it winced in pain, it clearly don't not affect it that much.

(Such lowbrow tactics will not work against me.) Pidgey huffed indignantly.

"Pidgey use Gust!" Pidgey flapped its wings, kicking up a strong gust of wind, at Paras. Paras tried to hunker down and maintain its hold on the ground, but it failed.

(Oh come oooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnn!) Paras screamed as it was hurled into the air. It flew through the air and into the wall. It slid to floor and landed in a heap. It's legs twitched for a moment, then it fainted.

(Humph,) Pidgey snorted. (That was barely worth my time.)

"Thanks Paras, return." Greg returned Paras and then sent out Beedrill. "You're up."

(Oh great,) Beedrill groaned as it saw Pidgey. (This isn't going to end well.)

(Yes. Not well for you.) Pidgey sneered.

"Beedrill use Fury Attack." Beedrill flew towards Pdigey, furiously jabbing at Pidgey. Pidgey undertook a series aerial maneuvers to dodge the attacks. Beedrill couldn't quite follow Pidgey's maneuvers but two jabs managed to hit Pidgey.

"Pidgey use Gust!" Double D commanded. Pidgey kicked up another strong gust aimed at Beedrill. Beebrill tried to flight against it, but was blown away. It went tumbling through the air and hit the ground. Immediately, it got back on its feet and took to the air again.

"Beedrill use Poison Sting!" Beedrill shot towards Pidgey, its bottom segment with its giant stinger extended in front of it. Pidgey tried to dodge right to avoid Beedrill, but this time Beedrill anticipated the move. It also dodged right and hit Pidgey. Pidgey went spinning away, falling several feet before regaining control.

"Give it another Gust Pidgey!" Pidgey managed to get above Beedrill then fired off the Gust at it, with the result that Beedrill was slammed into the ground. Again.

(I getting really tired of this!) Beedrill raged as it took flight once more.

"Use Fury Attack again!" Greg shouted. Beedrill flew at Pidgey again, furiously jab at Pidgey as it did. This time three of the jabs hit Pidgey. Pidgey fell again, only just manage to regain control before hitting the ground.

"Pidgey! One more Gust ought to do the job!" Double D shouted. Pidgey, now too weak to try and get above Beedrill, just came level with it before shouting of the Gust. This time Beedrill didn't even try to fight it. It was blown away by the Gust and was slammed into the wall. It then fell to the ground. For a few seconds, it didn't move. It twitched, then tried to stand. For a moment, it looked like it might be able to continue the battle. It tried to take flight again, but fell to back to the ground and fainted.

"All right then, that's 0-2." Greg said as he returned Beedrill. "Congratulations young man," He said as he handed Double D his badge. "I now official present you with the Swarm Badge."

"How gratifying," Double D said as he examined the badge. With that, Greg went back to the backroom to heal his pokémon.

"All right boys," Eddy declared as he stepped onto the field. "Watch and learn!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself Eddy." Double D cautioned. "And I'd like to remind you that of the three of us you're the only one who hasn't won the badge yet."

"Stop getting so hung up of the details Sockhead." Eddy said as Greg reappeared.

"Lets see if I can break my losing streak. Come on out Paras." Greg said as he sent out Paras.

(What now?) Paras whined. (Can't I get a break?)

"Lets show them what you're made of!" Eddy proclaimed as he sent out Charmander.

(I'm ready for battle.) Charmander said flatly.

"Start with Smokescreen Charmander!" Eddy commanded. Charmander opened its mouth and thick black smoke can pouring out. Within seconds, Charmander's side of the field was completely covered with smoke.

"Well, this could be tricky." Greg said, rubbing his chin. "Lets try for a Stun Spore." For the third time, Paras began to shake, producing the stunning spores. Soon a large cloud of the spores formed and it floated gently into the smoke where Charmander had been standing. "Though come to think of it, I can't really tell if that worked."

"One well to find out." Eddy shouted. "Charmander blast that bug with an Ember!" Suddenly, a ball of fire shot out the smoke several feet to the left of where Charmander had been standing. The ball of fire hit Paras.

(ARGH! HOT, HOT, HOT, HOT! TOO HOT!) Paras squealed as it used its large, front legs to pat out the fire.

"Try for an Absorb Paras!" Greg shouted. This time, there seemed to be an effect as there was a dim glow in the smoke and green orbs of health flew out of the smoke and into Paras.

"That won't save you!" Eddy roared in excitement. "Give it another Ember!" This time, the fireball shot out from the smoke from the opposite side of the field from the last one.

(BURNING BAD!) Paras screamed as he caught fire again.

"Okay, that's enough." Greg said as he hurriedly returned Paras. "I'll concede defeat on that one. As you saw, the poor little guy doesn't like fire. Now then, Beedrill, lets get this over with."

(I swear, by any oath you'd care to use,) Beedrill said as it appeared. (If you slam me around like the others I'm going take my stingers and turn you into a soprano!)

(I couldn't do that even if I wanted to.) Charmander said calmly as his smokescreen began to dissipate. (Though, I doubt you're going to like what I am going to do.)

"Beedrill! Use Twineedle!" Beedrill dived towards Charmander, its two arm stingers thrust outward at Charmander.

"Drop another Smokescreen and take cover!" Eddy shouted. Charmander opened its mouth and 'spat' out another smoke bank and dove into it. Unfortunately, Charmander was not fast enough as Beedrill's attack caught it mid-leap, sending Charmander spinning into the smoke.

"Follow it up with another Twineedle!" Greg shouted.

"Counter with Ember!" Eddy also shouted. Beedrill dove into the smoke. There were several brief spots of light within the smoke. Then, a scorched Beedrill rose out of the smoke.

(Why did it have to be a fire type?) Beedrill moaned. (I think I'd rather go back to being vigorously reacquainted with the ground.)

"Sorry, but there's nothing for it." Greg sighed. "Try for another Twineedle."

Eddy snorted. "That wouldn't do you any good. Blast away with Ember Charmander!" Beedrill dove into the smoke again. Like last time, there were several flashes of light within the smoke. Then an even more scorched Beedrill shot out of the smoke, but this time Charmander came bouncing out of the smoke.

"Quickly Beedrill! Use Fury Attack!" Beedrill dove at Charmander again, unleashing a fury of blows at Charmander. Charmander managed to avoid the first three blows, but the four blow it him square in the chest. Wincing in pain, Charmander staggered and was hit by Beedrill's fifth blow.

"Grab a hold of that oversized bee and burn his face off!" Eddy screamed.

Charmander lunged at Beedrill and managed to grab it by its head segment. (Sorry about this. It's not personal.) He opened his mouth and shot a ball of fire directly into Beedrill's face.

(ARGH%$( U#IHUGSIGA!() (*#Y(HOIWH) Beedrill screamed as its face caught fire. Charmander let go of Beedrill as it started fly around frantically, desperately patting at its head to put the flames out. It was hampered in this by the fact that its two large arm stingers proved unequal to the task. It did manage to extinguish the flames however, but only in time to get a quick glance at the bleaches that he proceeded to crash into.

(Argh…..) Beedrill moaned from beneath a bleacher seat. (Okay. I'm done.) It promptly fainted.

"Good try Beedrill." Greg said as he returned Beedrill. "Well then young man," He said as he walked over to Eddy and pulled out a badge. "I now present you with the Swarm Badge."

"Alright boys!" Eddy exclaimed as he held up his badge to Ed and Double D. "That's one down and….. Hey Sockhead, how many of these badges where there?"

"There are eight Eddy." Double D answered.

"Right, so seven more to go!" Eddy finished.

"Am I to understand that this was your first gym battle?" Greg asked.

"Yes sir, we are." Double D responded. "In fact, we didn't even know about Pokémon until a few days ago."

"A few days ago?" Greg asked while scratching his chin. "Well, not many places were their aren't any pokémon about. I take it you're from one of those places."

"Yup. We're from Peach Creek!" Ed added happily.

Greg shrugged. "Never heard of it, but that's neither here nor there. Now, along with the badges I have something else to give you three." He then pulled three roughly hand sized, square objects and handed them to the Eds.

"What? Floppy disks?" Eddy asked as he examined the device. "Get with the times man."

"These are not floppy disks, or at least not floppy disks for a computer." Greg corrected. "This are Technical Machines, or TM for short. These devices allow you to teach your pokémon specific moves. For example, these TM's are TM 83 Infestation. This is a bug type move that damages enemy pokémon over time and will keep them from running or being switched out."

"Wow, way cool!" Ed exclaimed as he jumped up on Eddy's shoulders to talk to Greg. "Can I teach my pokémon that?"

"Ed! Get off!" Eddy growled before he collapsed under the weight.

"Well, um, that depends." Greg said, unsure as to how to respond to Ed's antics. "Not every TM works on every pokémon. You see, pokémon can learn moves that they don't learn through the nature process of leveling up through TM's. It's an inexact science and there's still a lot about it that we don't know about it. If you have a Pokédex I can show you how to do it."

"Here yea go!" Ed said as he handed over his Pokédex.

"Right so, you open the Pokédex like you were going to scan a pokémon." He activated the Pokédex and held the TM up front of it. "Now scan the TM as if it were a pokémon." The Pokédex scanned the TM and made a loud peeping noise.

"Scan completed." It said. "Booting TM 83 Infestation."

"Now the Pokédex holds the data for the TM." Greg continued. "It will show you if any of the pokémon on your team can learn the move." He showed the Eds the Pokédex. The screen showed a list of six slots. Bulbasaur and Stantler occupied the top two slots while the other four were empty. Next to both Bulbasaur and Stantler were the words 'NOT ABLE.' "As you can see, neither of your pokémon can learn Infestation so the TM will not work on them."

"Dang." Ed moaned in disappointment.

"Don't get too dispirited." Greg consoled. "There are about 100 or so TM's that are available to the public. And some of those TM's contain moves that just about any pokémon can learn. You are going to find one you can use eventually."

"There you go Ed." Double D said, patting Ed on the back. "There's no need to get sad about it."

"Yeah so can the waterworks Lumpy." Eddy said as he turned to leave. "We've got a lot of ground to cover still and we need to get moving."

"Hold on there young man," Greg said, his voice hardening slightly. "There is one thing I need to ask you."

"Oh, really." Eddy sighed sarcastically. "And what would that be?"

"Is Charmander your only pokémon?" Greg asked.

"Yeah, so what?" Eddy responded.

"That's rather reckless and irresponsible don't you think?" Greg asked, his voice hardening even more.

"So what?" Eddy responded angrily. "I beat you didn't I?"

"Yes, you did." Greg responded coolly. "You beat a team that was built for beginners using a pokémon with the type advantage. Admittedly, beating the first gym is always a milestone but you're putting to much into this specific instance."

"I beat you!" Eddy shouted, his temper approaching boiling point. "What does it matter that Charmander is my only pokémon? I would have only needed him to beat you in any case!"

"Only in this instance." Greg said. "What would you have done if Charmander was poisoned? What if Charmander had been injured in some other way? What if any of my pokémon had managed to hit Charmander more than they had done? What if you had just been unlucky? And like I said, this team was for beginners. There not pushovers, to be sure, but it's not exactly the most challenging of setups."

Eddy glared at Greg, but didn't respond. Instead, he opted to seethe and gnash his teeth.

"And in that same vein, I'm the first gym leader." Greg continued. "I'm not supposed to be difficult. That's not to say I wasn't trying to win. I was. But that being said, I do have to scale myself to the fact that, as this gym leader, most of the trainers I will be facing are either beginners or trainers who chose to start anew with a new team. I only ever get a few trainers with full and experienced teams. Like I said, this is only the first gym. It's the first step that only people who are not trying ever completely fail at. It's not really something you can rest your laurels on. Things are going to only get harder from here. Gyms are based around types and, admittedly, it can be easy to blow through them with one or two pokémon so long as you have the type advantage. But you'll find that most trainers outside of gyms will have more balanced teams. Then there's the League, which is a different beast all together."

"What's your point?" Eddy spat, just barely managing to control his temper.

"My point is that you need to be more responsible when it comes to your pokémon." Greg said. "Relying on one pokémon to carry anything other than a 1v1 battle is something that good trainers should avoid. You have to remember that pokémon aren't just animals. They have thoughts and feelings that need to be considered. And even if your Charmander would be fine with it, you have to reign him in so that he doesn't seriously hurt himself. In other words, its your duty as a pokémon trainer to take care of your pokémon. It's your duty to not put them in unnecessarily dangerous situations or to push them too hard. It would be good for you to learn this now in the beginning where the consequences would not be quite as severe than they will be later on."

"We'll take your advice to heart." Double D broken in as he saw that Eddy was at exploding point again. He started to drag Eddy away from Greg and towards the door. Ed, having a rare moment of lucidity, helped him. "Thank you for the advice. We'll put it to good use."

"Look, I not trying to put him down or disparage him." Greg said, taking a more consolatory tone towards Double D. "But I'm a Gym Leader. I do have to point these things out. And if he takes it to heart and acts on it, then he'll go far. If he doesn't, well, it won't end well for him."

"I show you!" Eddy shouted as Ed and Double D pulled him out the door. "I show you what I can do! I'll be the best trainer out there! I'll get beat all the gyms and I'll beat the League! I'll prove you wrong!"

Greg shrugged. "I wish you the best of luck with that." He said, not completely without sincerity. Without another word, he turned his back on the Eds and went into the backroom. Double D and Ed dragged Eddy out of the arena, through the hallway, and back to the front room. From that point, Ed took over completely and pulled Eddy out the building while Double D spoke to the receptionist to receive their prize money. Ed stood outside, holding Eddy off the ground to keep him from trying anything.

"Control the dark side Eddy!" Ed cried as he held Eddy close.

"Enough Ed!" Eddy shouted as he kicked his way free. "I'm alright. I'm not going to burn down the gym or anything."

"You can never be too careful with your dark side Eddy." Ed admonished. "For it tempts people. It deceives you into doing the wrong thing while you believe your doing the right thing. Like doing homework instead of watching monster movies."

"Ed, when they were dishing out brains you must have been standing there with a spoon." Eddy sighed. Then Double D joined them and a more pressing matter asserted itself. "Hey Sockhead, where's the closest place to catch pokémon?"

"Oh, so now you want to catch another pokémon?" Double asked in exasperation. "So now you decide to take my advice? And _after_ the gym battle no less!"

"Knock it off Sockhead!" Eddy growled. "I don't need you lecturing me too! Just answer the question!"

"We could go back to Greenspur Forest." Double D said as he pulled out his guide. "Or we could have a quick look at Route 2."

"Why not just be off to the next town then?" Eddy asked. "Why just a quick look?"

"Because the next city is Heatherburg." Double D answered. "And, according to the guide, it's a good two days hike away. At this point in the day, we wouldn't get far before we had to stop and make camp."

"That and we don't have tents or anything." Eddy added sourly.

"Exactly." Double D sighed. "So we'll need to buy some camping equipment and supplies, for both us and our pokémon. Then we can look around for pokémon for the rest of the day."

"So we'll be healed and ready for monster adventures tomorrow!" Ed added happily.

"Whatever. Makes sense, I guess." Eddy said with resignation. "Well, we've got to spend money to make money I suppose. Come on, we've got work to do." He began to walk in what he thought was the direction of the Pokémon Center. "I show that Greg who's boss." He muttered.

"Right behind you Eddy!" Ed replied as he followed him. "Can I be a boss too?"

"Wait!" Double D shouted as he followed after them. "You're going the wrong way again!"

* * *

Next time on _Pokémon, the ED-Ventures:_ Eddy goes to catch a pokémon, but gets sidetracked.

Author's Notes:

1\. First of, while I did do all three gym battles in detail, I'm not sure if I'm going to do it with every gym battle. Particularly with the last few gyms, who I intend to give full teams. I'm not sure if seeing the same challenge three times in a row will get boring or not. Please let me know what you think?

2\. Was the gym battle too easy? Like I said, this is the first time I've done something like these before and I can't shake the feeling it might have been too easy for them. Your comments would be appreciated.

3\. How's my style when it comes to writing the battles? Like the last point, I can't shake the feeling that something might be off. Please let me know.


	7. A Criminal Interlude

Okay, I freely admit that this chapter didn't quite turn out as I intended. I tried something a bit ambitious here. Two double battles taking place at the same time. I'm not quite happy with how it turned out, but I haven't got the time to rewrite it. I also had to rush it a bit, which also didn't help. Either way, here it is and hopefully you'll enjoy it.

* * *

 **Westerway City**

"Right then," Eddy said as the trio left the Pokémon Center, their pokémon fully healed. "Where do we get the camping stuff?"

"The Poké Mart." Double D replied. "Or at least I think so. I saw some camping equipment in the Poké Mart we visited in New Greenvale."

"Right. Lets check out Route 2 then swing by the Mart and buy some stuff." Eddy decided as the trio left the Pokémon Center. "So, any idea what we can find on Route 2 Double D?"

"I don't know," Double D said as he pulled out the guide. "I'll see if the guide says anything about it."

"You know, for all the times we need that thing I wonder why you ever put it away." Eddy commented snidely. "I'm surprised that you haven't memorized the thing by now."

"Ha, ha, ha." Double D grumbled sarcastically. "I don't memorize books. That's unpractical as it would take more time and effort to memorize a book than it would be to simply look it up. And besides, I don't have either the time or effort to devote to such an undertaking."

"What's this?" Eddy asked in mock horror. "Some bookwork challenge that is beyond Double D, the prodigy genius?!"

"For shame." Ed commented solemnly. "For challenge is the gravy of life Double D."

"Enough," Double D sighed. "How about we get back to the matter at hand?" He flipped through the guide. "Here we are. Route 2. Lets see." He read in silence for a few moments. "Aha, here's a list of pokémon. It says that we can find...oof." Double D was cut off as a group four men came running around a corner and ran into the trio. The first man crashed into Eddy. Eddy was knocked off balance as the man clung to Eddy to keep from falling. Before either could catch themselves, the second man crashed into them, sending all three falling. Double D stepped forward to try to catch Eddy and keep him from falling. But then a third man came running around the corner. The third man managed to avoid crashing into the pile of Eddy and the two men, but tripped over a protruding leg. The man stumbled and crashed into Double D knocking both to the ground. Then a fourth man came around the corner. This man attempted to jump over the pile but is legs got caught on one of the tangled men and he fell flat on its face.

"Dog pile!" Ed shouted as he jumped on the fourth man.

"Get off!" One the men shouted as he kicked Eddy in the face to get clear of him.

"ARGHFF!" Eddy screamed through a face full of foot. After a few seconds of struggling, the men and the Eds got free and got to their feet.

"Watch where you're going you snot nose brat!" The man shouted again.

"Where we're going!?" Eddy shouted back. "YOU RAN INTO US!"

"NO WE DIDN'T!" The man shouted back. "YOU WERE IN OUR WAY!"

"Not now!" One of the other men shouted. He grabbed the first man and gave him a hard shove in the direction they had been running. "Get moving! All of you!" The other two men ran off, followed by the man who'd been shouted, and the man who had shoved him.

"Well, that was discourteous." Double D said as he brushed dirt off his clothes. "I wonder where they're off to in such a calamitous hurry?"

"Maybe they were on their way to a comic sale." Ed said.

"WHO CARES WHERE THEY'RE GOING!" Eddy roared. "I'M NOT GONNA LET THEM GET AWAY WITH THAT! I'M GONNA CHASE THEM DOWN AND POUND THEM INTO THE DIRT!"

"Eddy no!" Double D cried as he grabbed Eddy by the shoulder. "This is not worth a physical altercation! You know I hate those!"

"YOU MAY BE WILLING TO BE A DOORMAT BUT I'M NOT!" Eddy screamed at Double D as he pulled free of his grasp.

"Stop! Thieves!" At that point, an elderly, portly man came from around the corner. He was wearing a black, business suit which was damp with sweat. He stopped in front of the Eds, bending over and take deep, gasping breaths. He stood up straight again, using his hands to wipe the sweat from his face. He then noticed the Eds and turned to them. "Please, you have to help me!" He begged. "Would you three boys happen to be Pokémon Trainers? And did four men run by here?"

"You are correct sir." Double D answered. "On both counts."

"Then please help me!" He whined. "My name is Nolan Wood! I work at the McDean Electronics Corporation. Those men just stole company property and I need to get it back!"

"Did you call the police?" Double D asked.

"Yes!" Wood answered. "Or at least, I think someone did. But they're getting away now! I need your help to chase them down! Please! I can compensate you for your trouble!"

During this brief conversation, Eddy had been to busy seething to pay much attention. 'Compensate' did catch his attention however. "Compensation?" He asked. "You mean like reward?"

Wood, seeing a glimmer of hope, grasped at it. "Yes! Yes! I can make it worth your while!"

"SOLD!" Eddy roared excitedly. "Come on boys! We've got ourselves a reward to earn!" At which point, Eddy grabbed Ed and Double D, physically lifted them up off the ground, and shot off after the four men. Wood stared after them in befuddled wonderment.

"Oh my." He commented absently. "What a lively young man."

* * *

 **Route 2**

Anyone leaving Westerway City with Heatherburg in mind as a destination would have to take Route 2. Anyone taking Route 2 would find that it started by cutting through a small park. It was called Wilson Park, named after some long dead city official. As parks went, it was nothing unusual. It was essentially one big playground with the occasional bench and tree. As such, the park was swarming with children and their attentive parents. Neither the children or their parents noticed the four men who went running through. If anyone did, they didn't think much of it. They did notice when Eddy, still carrying Ed and Double D, went rocketing through a couple of minutes later. He even kicked up a small dust cloud. After the park, Route 2 opened out onto an open plain, with the occasional hill and group of trees, that stretched off into the horizon.

The four men continued to run for a few minutes before stopping to take a breath. "You get what we needed Sparks?" The leaded asked between gasps.

'Sparks' pulled a black flash drive from his pocket and held it up. "Sure did Bob. Got everything we need."

'Bob' winced. His name wasn't really 'Bob,' like how the others names weren't 'Sparks,' 'Smith,' or 'John.' Those names had been taken from a list of fake names, all painfully generic, they were supposed to use every time they had to do a job. In point of fact, he didn't even know the real names of the men around him, and he had known them for several years. One thing had been made quite clear ever since he started working for the 'organization,' and that was you only knew what the bosses though you should know. Controlling who knew what about whatever seemed to be one of the 'organization's' defining mantras. Not that that mattered to him much. So far as he was concerned, it was probably a good thing that he didn't know much about the 'organization' as a whole. It made it less likely that one of his bosses would decided that he was a liability, and decide to get rid of him in a permanent fashion. That and he was paid on time and in full, which made him want to ask questions even less.

"Good." 'Bob' wheezed as he took the flash drive from Sparks. "We lost that guy we ran into in the building so we should be safe for the time being."

"How long do you think it'll be before the police are on us?" 'John' asked.

"We should have a couple of minutes." 'Bob' answered. "If Smith did what he was supposed to none of the phones in the building should be useable for a while yet."

"I did." 'Smith' huffed defensively. "We've used that jammer before. It run for ten minutes before it fries itself. What about you John?"

"I wiped their security systems before we left." 'John' assured them. "So far as they're concerned, we where never there."

"Good." 'Bob' sighed in relief. "Now lets get..."

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" The four men jumped and turned to see Eddy, _still_ carrying Ed and Double D, came running into view. "You picked the wrong people to mess with!" Eddy shouted as he dropped Ed and Double D.

"Yeah!" Ed shouted as he pointed an accusatory finger at the four men. "You're not going to get away with….." Ed paused, then turned to Eddy. "What did they do?"

"They stole something lummox!" Eddy shouted. "And we're supposed to get it back for that one guy!"

"We should have asked him what they stole." Double D muttered.

"Not now Sockhead." Eddy growled. "Now get your pokémon out and lets kick their butts!"

The men laughed. "Really? You're going to 'kick our butts'?" 'Bob' snorted. "Yea know, you're a bunch of dumb kids who couldn't find their asses with both hands. So I'm going to give you a chance to run off now."

"Not a chance!" Eddy snarled as he sent out Charmander. "Now I really want to kick your ass!"

(I was hoping for a break.) Charmander commented. (Then again, a hard day's work never hurt anyone.)

"Language Eddy!" Double D admonished as he pulled out a Poké Ball.

"Again! Not now!" Eddy shouted.

'Bob' laughed. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you!" He said as he and the other three men pulled out their Poké Balls.

"Hold it!" A fifth voice called out. They all turned to see a fifth man, riding up on what appeared to be a flaming, white horse. He was wearing a light brown jacket with a white undershirt and a light blue tie. He also wore like gray paints and black shoes. He even wore a light gray fedora on his head, giving the impression that he stepped out of an old-time detective story. He rode up to the Eds, and dismounted. He then pulled a wallet out his coat and flipped it open, revealing a bright, metal badge.

"I'm Detective Thomas Marter of Dentor Marshals." He said holding the badge up. "I'm placing you men under arrest on a charge of Burglary. More of my men will be arriving at any minute now. You won't be able to get away because if I could catch you with my Ponyta, the city officers in _jeeps_ will be able to catch up with you without a problem. The fact you tried to escape on foot means you don't have any other way of escaping. So why don't you save all of us some time and effort and just come along quietly?"

While Detective Marter had been speaking, Double D had pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the horse like pokémon. "Ponyta, the Fire Horse Pokémon. Ponyta is very weak at birth. It can barely stand up. This Pokémon becomes stronger by stumbling and falling to keep up with its parent."

"I swear Sockhead, for as smart as you are you need to learn how to _prioritize_!" Eddy growled in irritation.

'Bob' considered for a moment. "No. I'll take my chances." He snarled as he sent out a pokémon. The pokémon was had the overall size and shape of a small to medium sized dog. The fur on its legs and back was a bright orange with black stripes. The fur on its muzzle, chest, belly, tail, and a tuft on its head was a light cream color. It had a small, black nose and a pair of large ears. (Finally. I was getting bored.) It growled.

Detective Marter shrugged, not at all put off by this turn of events. "Well, I can't say I didn't try." He turned to the Eds. "I'm going to have to ask for your help boys. I could take them all myself, but I'd rather not to if I don't have to. So, here's how it's gonna work." He pointed to 'John' and 'Smith.' "The smelly guy and the sock-on-head guy will take those two while loudmouth and I will take the other two."

"Loudmouth!?" Eddy huffed indignantly.

"Right!" Marter said as he grabbed Eddy by the shoulder and dragged him across the route so that they were facing 'Bob' and 'Sparks.' "We can make proper introductions once we've got these guys in custody."

"Getting a bit ahead of yourself aren't you?" 'Bob' growled. "I've not met a cop yet who could battle their way out of a paper bag." He then rubbed his chin in mock thought. "I've got an idea. How about _you_ say us all some time and effort and just run away? I've seen marshals do that. Or take a bribe perhaps? I've seen that too."

Marter smiled coldly. "I think you'll find that those days are over, now that your boss isn't pulling the strings."

'Bob' laughed. "Really? Is that what was going on? It explains a lot I guess."

Marter's smile turned downright arctic. "Yes. And it stops now!"

* * *

 **Double D/Ed vs. John/Smith**

"Look sharp Ed," Double D said as he sent out Squirtle. "This battle is going to be more serious than any other battle before. Including the Gym battle."

"Okey dokey smoky!" Ed said as he sent out Stantler. "I always wanted to be a crime fighting superhero!"

"Lets not get carried away Ed." Double D moaned exasperatedly.

(Well, this looks serious.) Squirtle commented as he saw the angry looks that John and Smith were giving Double D and Ed. He then noticed Stantler. (Hi there buddy. I don't think we've met.)

(Lets save the introductions for later.) Stantler said as John and Smith sent out their pokémon. (Looks like we've got a battle on our hands. Or hooves in my case.)

Simth's pokémon was the size and shape of a small dog. Its body was uniformly black, with the exception of a red muzzle and underbelly. Protruding from its body were several boney structures; two ridges on its back, one on each ankle, and one masked shaped structure on its forehead. John's pokémon resembled a small panda. Its body was split into two colors. Its upper body was a black color while its lower body was a dark gray. Its head, with the exception of a black circle around each eye and black ears, and its puffy tail where white colored.

(Food….) The dog growled as it licked slobbering chops.

(I'm always in the mood for a good pounding!) The panda said as it cracked its knuckles.

Double D immediately whipped out his Pokédex and scanned both pokémon. "Houndour, the Dark Pokémon." It said of the dog pokémon. "Houndour hunt as a coordinated pack. They communicate with each other using a variety of cries to corner their prey. This pokémon's remarkable teamwork is unparalleled. Pancham, the Playful Pokémon." It said of the panda pokémon. "There's no point to the leaf in its mouth, aside from an effort to look cool. It's mischievous, so it's not well suited to inexperienced trainers."

"Stantler! Use Leer!" Ed commanded. Stantler contorted its face into a horrific scowl and its eyes began to glow red. Houndour whimpered slight and Pancham took a step back.

(I hate Leer.) Houndour whined.

"Use Ember on Stantler!" Smith commanded. Houndour opened its mouth and shot a ball of flame at Stantler. It hit Stantler full on in the face and it staggered away in pain.

"Pancham, follow up with Arm Thrust!" John shouted. Pancham leaped at Stantler. It slung one arm around Stantler's neck and used the other to punch Stantler in the chest. It hit Stantler three times before Stantler managed to shake it off.

(I just got out!) He moaned in pain as he struggled to stay on his feet. (I don't want to get knocked out already!)

"Squirtle! Use Water Gun on Houndour!" Double D shouted. Squirtle shot a high pressure stream of water at Houndour, knocking off its feet and sending skidding across the field.

"Give it a Tackle Stantler!" Ed shouted.

(Payback time!) Stantler growled as it charged at the prone Houndour. It lowered its head and smashed it with its horns. The force of the impact sent Houndour bouncing back several more feet before it came to a stop in a shuttering heap. It tried to regain its feet, but it fell back to the ground. Before it could try a second time, it fainted. (Take that!) Stantler snorted in triumph.

"Good job mutant deer friend!" Ed cried happily.

Stantler slumped. (Why is he still calling me that?)

"Mutant deer friend?" John asked incredulously. "What kind of a nickname is that!? Oh, never mind! Pancham, take out Stantler with another Arm Thrust!" Pancham leapt onto Stantler and grabbed a hold of its side. This time, Pancham managed to punch Stantler the whole five times. Stantler cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground in a dead faint. Pancham jumped clear of Stantler and landed a few feet away, a triumphant smirk on its face. It did last long, however.

"Water Gun!" Double D commanded. Pancham was blasted off its feet as Squirtle's Water Gun hit it square in the face.

(Don't forget about me!) Squirtle boasted.

"No!" Ed sobbed. "My poor mutant deer friend! What a horrible way to go! I won't forget you!"

"Calm down Ed." Double D consoled. "Stantler isn't dead. It's just fainted."

"Oh, sorry." Ed said sheepishly as he returned Stantler. "Come out Bulbasaur!"

(Hello Squirtle.) Bulbasaur said as it appeared. (What's going on?)

(Double battle.) Squirtle responded as he pointed to John and Smith. (Stantler's been knocked out.)

(What!) Bulbasaur growled. (They won't get away with that!)

(Well, that panda thing is the one who did it.) Squirtle said pointing at Pancham. (Just so you know.)

(Thanks.) Bulbasaur said as he glared at Pancham. (You're going down boy.)

(I'm a girl!) Pancham shouted back.

(Oh,) Bulbasaur muttered.

"You'll pay for that." Smith growled as he returned Houndour. "You're up Gastly." Smith's pokémon had no solid form. It consisted of a spherical, black body surrounded by a purple haze. It had two large eyes and a wide mouth with two visible fangs.

Double D quickly pulled out his Pokédex again and scanned the Gastly. "Gastly, the Gas Pokémon." It said. "Gastly is largely composed of gaseous matter. When exposed to strong wind, the gaseous body quickly dwindles away. Groups of this pokémon cluster under the eaves of houses to escape the ravages of the wind."

"Use Lick on Squirtle!" Simth ordered. Gastly disappeared. Squirtle looked around, trying to find the Gastly. It suddenly reappeared in front of Squirtle and a long tongue shot out of its mouth and licked Squirtle's face. Squirtle cried out in pain as it staggered back, wiping the Gastly slobber off its face.

"Use your Whipping Vines on Pancham!" Ed commanded. Vines shot out of Bulbasaur's bulb and smashed into Pancham. Pancham was knocked off its feet and was sent skidding along the ground a few feet before it stopped itself.

"Use on Arm Thrust on Squirtle Pancham!" John shouted. Pancham charged towards Squirtle and threw a series of punches at Squirtle. It managed to punch Squirtle three times before Squirtle stumbled out of reach.

(Ow….) Squirtle moaned.

"Blast Pancham with Water Gun!" Double D shouted. Squirtle shot another stream of water at Pancham, blasting it off its feet for a second time.

"Use Lick on Squirtle again!" Smith shouted. Gastly swooped down and flew past Squirtle, licking it as it went. Squirtle staggered sideways, then frozen.

(Crap.) Squirtle grunted. (I don't feel right.)

"Oh dear." Double D commented concernedly. "I do believe Squirtle is paralyzed."

"Fear not Double D, for I will avenge Squirtle." Ed proclaimed. "Bulbasaur, use your Vines of Whipping against Gastly!" Bulbasaur's vines shot after Gastly. They wrapped around Gastly and slammed it into the ground. It bounced, spinning back into the air a few feet before it regained control.

"Pancham, Arm Thrust on Squirtle again!" John commanded. Pancham charged towards Squirtle again, throwing several punches. Squirtle tried to dodge, but due to being paralyzed, he didn't get far. The charging Pancham slammed into Squirtle and, standing over the prone Squirtle, punched he five times. Squirtle shivered once, then fainted.

(Take that you stupid turtle!) Pancham taunted.

"Take a good rest Squirtle." Double D said as he returned Squirtle. "Pidgey, your up!"

(Prepare for the superior might of my superior breeding!) Pidgey preened as he took flight after being sent out.

(Dude, you're just a different color.) Bulbasaur sighed in annoyance. (Aside from that, you're just a normal Pidgey. Cut out that 'superior breed' stuff will yea?)

(Slovenly peasant.) Pidgey huffed.

"Crap." Smith growled. "Gastly, use Lick on Bulbasaur!" Gastly swooped down on Bulbasaur and licked his face with its large tongue. Bulbasaur shuttered in discomfort, but otherwise appeared unaffected.

"Use Gust on Pancham!" Double D shouted. Pidgey flapped his wings violently, creating a powerful gust of wind. For a few seconds, Pancham managed to resist the attack. However, it was completely overwhelmed and blown off his feet. It was sent bouncing along the ground for several feet before it came to a stop. It tried to regain its feet, but it failed and fell back to the ground. It tried a second time, but fell to the ground again in a dead faint.

"Shit." John growled as he returned Pancham.

"Use your Whipping Vines on Gastly again Bulbasaur!" Ed shouted. Bulbasaur's vines shot at Gastly again and, like before, wrapped around Gastly and slammed it into the ground. This time, instead of bouncing back up, Gastly seemed to flatten against the ground for a few seconds before it regained its shape and returning to the air.

Still swearing, John pulled out a Poké Ball. "Gulpin, get out here!" John's pokémon appeared in the form of a round, green mass of what appeared to be slime. It had a stubby appendage on each of its side with a third appendage that looked like a mouth. It had a black, diamond shaped marking on its back and a yellow feather like appendage sticking out of its head.

"Gastly, use Lick on Bulbasaur again!" Smith order. Gastly swooped down on Bulbasaur once more, licking him as it went.

(Gah!) Bulbasaur shook his head to rid itself of the slobber Gastly left behind. (I really hate that.)

"Pidgey, use Gust on Gastly!" Double D shouted. Pidgey kicked up another small windstorm at Gastly. Gastly tried to dodge the oncoming attack, but it was caught in it. It was bounced around in the windstorm for a few seconds before it was smashed into the ground again. This time, Gastly stayed on the ground for several seconds before it took to the air again.

"Gulpin, use Yawn on Pidgey!" John commanded. Gulpin took in a breath, held it for a second, then yawned.

Pidgey braced itself for an attack, but nothing apparently happened. (Okay, what just happened? That didn't do anything.)

(You'll see.) Gulpin said casually.

"Use Vines of Whipping once more on the Gastly!" Ed commanded. Bulbasaur's vines shot towards Gastly, grabbed a hold of it once more, and slammed it into the ground. This time, Gastly didn't rise back into the air. Instead, it completely deflated and stopped moving at all.

"Shit!" Smith swore as he returned Gastly. "I'm out." John swore.

"We're winning Double D!" Ed cried happily.

"Stay alert Ed!" Double D admonished. "It's not over yet. Now then, use Gust on Guplin!" Pidgey flapped its wings, creating another windstorm and shot it at Gulpin. Gulpin wasn't moved by the wind, but it did do its damage.

(You'll have to do better than that.) Gulpin taunted.

"Bulbasaur, use your Seeds of Leeching on Gulpin." Bulbasaur hunched down so that its bulb was aimed at Gulpin. It fired a large seed at Gulpin which, when it hit Gulpin, sprouted several vines which wrapped around Gulpin. Gulpin was unperturbed by this.

(You're just wasting your time with that.) Gulpin mocked.

"Ed, poison types resist grass type attacks." Double D explained. "Gulpin is a poison type, so your grass type attacks won't do much damage."

"Oh…." Ed said dully. He thought for a moment. "Wait, does that mean that Gulpin would be good against my Bulbasaur?"

"No." Double D said. "Bulbasaur is poison/grass type. As such, poison type attacks will have neutral effectiveness."

"Gulpin, use Sludge on Pidgey!" John cut in. Gulpin took in a breath, expanding to twice its size, then spat a mass of black sludge at Pidgey. The sludge hit Pidgey full on in the chest.

(Yuck!) Pidgey cried. He landed on the ground and tried to wipe the sludge off his body. (Disgusting! My beautiful feathers! Ruined! I need to bath! A shower! A bath! A steam clean! A bucket of water! Sanitary wipes! Anything! Just get me clean! I….) Then, as if at the flip of a switch, Pidgey fell over and started snoring.

"Wait, what happened?" Double D asked.

"Yawn puts the target to sleep after a while." John growled. "That will even things out a bit."

Then the seed on Gulpin began to glow, and a bit of its health was sucked away and absorbed by Bulbasaur. Not that it was bothered by it. (Ha. That barely tickled.)

"Oh dear." Double D moaned. "Ed! It's up to you for the moment. Or at least until Pidgey wakes up."

"Fear not Double D!" Ed proclaimed, even striking a pose. "I will hold down the fort until Pidgey awakens from its accursed slumber. Bulbasaur, use Tackle!" Bulbasaur charged forward and slammed into Gulpin, knocking it back a foot or two.

"Gulpin, use Pound!" Guplin slithered back up to Bulbasaur and smacked Bulbasaur with one of its arm-like appendages. The seed glowed again, and more of Gulpin's health was absorbed by Bulbasaur.

"Wake up Pidgey!" Double D shouted at the still sleeping Pidgey. Pidgey did not respond to this and kept on snoring.

"Tackle it again Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur smashed itself into Gulpin again.

"Hit it with Sludge!" John shouted. Gulpin opened its mouth and shot sludge at Bulbasaur. It hit Bulbasaur square in the face. He staggered away, tried to remove the sludge from his eyes. The seed glowed again and Gulpin lost more health.

(Argh.) Pidgey groaned as he woke up. (What happened?)

"Pidgey! Use Gust, quickly now!" Double D shouted.

(I hate battling after a nap.) Pidgey groaned as it flapped its wings and created another powerful windstorm. This time, Gulpin was blown off the ground and bounced along the ground a few feet before it regained its footing.

"Tackle the Slime Monster Bulbasaur!" Ed ordered. Bulbasaur charged after Gulpin and slammed into it again, knocking it back a further few feet.

"Use Yawn again!" John cried.

(You didn't tell me who to use it on.) Gulpin complained. Since Bulbasaur was the closest, it used Yawn on Bulbasaur.

(That's not going to save you!) Bulbasaur shouted, despite the weariness that was sweeping over him. The Leech Seed glowed once more and more health was drained from Gulpin.

"Pidgey, use Tackle!" Double D commanded. Pidgey took off into the air, gain a fair bit of altitude, then dove down on Gulpin. He crashed into Gulpin, sending them both bouncing across the field.

(Ow,) Pidgey groaned as he took flight again. (That did not go as planned.)

(What was that?) Bulbasaur shouted. (You can't damage yourself with Tackle!)

(I didn't damage myself.) Pidgey defended. (I just miscalculated is all. I just woke up after all.)

(But you were only asleep for a minute or two.) Bulbasaur muttered.

"Use Tackle Bulbasaur!" Ed shouted. Bulbasaur charged at Gulpin and smashed into Gulpin. The impact knocked Gulpin back another few feet.

"Gulpin!" John cried in alarm. "Can you still fight?"

Gulpin tried to get up, but then it seemed to melt. (No….) It moaned and fainted.

"Bravo Ed, bravo!" Double D exclaimed. "And you to Pidgey."

Pidgey harrumphed. (It was only to be expected.)

"Hurray! We've won!" Ed cried in happiness. "Hug me!" He ran over to Bulbasaur and picked him in a tight hug. "Good boy, good boy, good boy, good boy!" He chanted.

(Wait stop!) Bulbasaur whined. (You're hurting me!)

"That's it you little brats. You may have beat our pokémon but I not do yet." Smith snarled as he pulled out a knife. John, with a murderous glare on his face, pulled out a pair of brass knuckles.

"Oh dear." Double D whimpered as he backed away. "I hate physical altercations."

"Uh oh." Ed said, as his walnut sized brain began to process the fact that he was in actual trouble. He looked down at Bulbasaur, who was still in his arms. "Can you fight them?"

(I don't know.) Bulbasaur answered as if Ed understood him. (I've never actually attacked humans before. Not even by accident.)

(Distasteful fellows.) Pidgey chirped as he landed on Double D's shoulder. (I can take these plebeians by myself if it's necessary.)

"They're not going to help you." John growled. "Not in the state they're in." He smiled wickedly. "Now then, lets…."

"I'M SORRY GUYS!"

Ed, Double D, Smith, John, Bulbasaur, and Pidgey all turned towards the shout, only to be knocked off their feet as something exploded.

* * *

 **Eddy/Thomas vs. Bob/Sparks**

"By the way Loudmouth, you do know how to battle right?" Detective Thomas Marter asked as he pulled out a Poké Ball.

"Yes, I do." Eddy growled back. "We got the Swarm Badge today."

"Good." Thomas said as he sent out his pokémon. "I just wanted to know." Thomas's pokémon, like Bob's, to the form of a small dog. Unlike Bob's pokémon, Thomas's pokémon was entirely green in color, with a yellow, lightning shaped band on its head and on the tip of its tail. It had a large, angular head crest and a short, spiked tail. Each leg had a spike protruding it; the ones on the forelegs being shorter and positioned lower on the legs than the hind ones.

"We haven't got time for this." Sparks muttered as he sent out his pokémon. Unlike any of the pokémon Eddy had seen so far, Sparks' pokémon did not look like any kind of living thing. In point of fact, it looked more like some kind of machine. It was a small metal sphere was that uniformly gray in color with a large, single eye in its center. Three screws were attached to its body, two small screws under the eye and one large screw sticking out of the top of its head. There was also a small magnet attached to two sides of its spherical body.

Eddy sighed as he pulled out his Pokédex to scan their pokémon. Aside from the fact that it was probably a dangerous distraction in this situation, hadn't just been chewing Double D out for it? Then again, being a hypocrite didn't bother him and it hadn't started now. He simply would preferred to be less blatant about it. As if sensing the urgency of the situation, the Pokédex rattled off its entries at a rapid fire pace. "Electrike, the Lightning Pokémon. Electrike runs faster than the human eye can follow. The friction from running is converted into electricity, which is stored in this Pokémon's fur. Growlithe, the Puppy Pokémon. It's both clever and loyal, but if a stranger tries to invade its territory, it barks threateningly. Magnemite, the Magnet Pokémon. They gather in places were electricity is available. They can be found clinging to the steel towers used to support power lines."

"Right then." Eddy said as he put away his Pokédex. "Charmander, give that magnet thing an Ember!"

(Magnemite.) Charmander said as he shot a ball of flame at Magnemite. (It's called Magnemite. You just heard its name, get it right.) The fireball hit Magnemite head on, scorch it significantly.

(Situation critical) Magnemite said mechanically.

"Electrike, use Howl!" Thomas commanded. Electrike threw back its head and unleashed a long, deep howl. As it howled, Electrike's muscles seemed to bulk up slightly.

"Growlithe, use Bite on Charmander!" Bob shouted. Growlithe charged at Charmander. Charmander tried to dodge the attack by jumping over the charging Growlithe. However, Growlithe lifted its head and its jaws clamped down on Charmander's foot mid-leap. It then slammed Charmander into ground, at which point Charmander kicked itself free and scrambled away from Growlithe.

(Well, that didn't work.) Charmander said as he regained his feet.

Growlithe snorted. (Not the first time someone's tried that.)

"Use Thunder Wave on Charmander!" Sparks ordered Magnemite. Magnemite began to glow with an electric charge, which then shot towards Charmander. The electricity flew towards Charmander, but suddenly changed direction and hit Electrike. The electricity crackled across Electrike's fur, but had no apparent effect.

"Crap." Sparks growled. "Must be Lightning Rod."

"Yup!" Thomas replied cheerfully.

Sparks winced. "That's going to be a problem."

"Whatever." Eddy shouted. "Makes things easier for us. Charmander, give that Magnemite another Ember!"

(Got it right this time.) Charmander commented as he shot another fireball at Magnemite. Magnemite exploded into flame and fell to the ground. It sat there burning for a few seconds before the flames went out, revealing a scorched black, and clearly fainted, Magnemite. Sparks swore as he returned the blackened Magnemite.

"Electrike, use Spark on Growlithe!" Thomas ordered. Electrike ran towards Growlithe. As it ran, electricity began to build up in its fur. By the time it reached Growlithe, it was surrounded by a field of crackling electricity. It slammed into Growlithe and all of the electricity was released into Growlithe. Growlithe yowled in pain as it jumped away from Electrike, electricity playing across its own fur for a few seconds.

"Give Electrike an Ember!" Bob yelled. Growlithe opened its jaws and shot its own fireball at Electrike. The fireball hit Electrike in the side as it tried to dodge the attack. Electrike yowled in pain as rolled on the ground to smother the fire.

Sparks swore as he pulled out a Poké Ball. "Just _had_ to have a pokémon with the Lightning Rod ability. I knew things were going too well. Get out here Blitzle!" Sparks' pokémon was the size and shape of a small zebra. Its body was black with white stripes on its neck, chest, back, and hind legs. Its legs blow the knees were white and its hooves were black. It had a rounded black muzzle, with pair of small ears, and two big, blue eyes. It had a white, spiky mane that ran up its neck and onto its head, where it ended in a large, horn-like structure. It had a small, stubby tail that ended in two sharp points.

Eddy growled in annoyance as he pulled out his Pokédex again. This was supposed to be Double D's job. "Blitzle, the Electrified Pokémon. Its mane shines when it discharges electricity. They use the frequency and rhythm of these flashes to communicate."

"Blitzle, use Quick Attack on Electrike!" Sparks shouted. The Blitzle shot towards Electrike, almost faster than the eye could follow and kicking up a cloud of dust as it went. It smashed into Electrike, practically sending Electrike flying. It bounced a few feet before it stopped and regained its feet.

(Ow.) Electrike groaned. (That hurt.)

"Blast Blitzle with an Ember Charmander!" Eddy shouted. Charmander shot a fireball at Blitzle, hitting its side. Blitzle squealed in pain as it jumped away from the attack.

"Electrike, use Spark on Growlithe again!" Thomas ordered. Electrike charged at Growlithe again, generating the electric field as it went. He slammed into Growlithe, discharging the built up electricity into Growlithe. It yowled in pain as the electricity surged through its body.

"Ember Growlithe!" Bob shouted. Growlithe shot another fireball at Electrike, hitting it head on. Electrike whimpered in pain as it rubbed its head in the dirt to put the flames out.

"Blitzle, use Quick Attack on Electrike!" Again, Blitzle shot at Electrike like a lightning bolt, slamming into Electrike. Electrike was knocked by several feet, yowling all of the way. When it stopped, it tried to regain its feet. It almost made it, but its legs gave out and it fell to the ground and fainted.

"Quick! Ember!" Eddy shouted. Charmander shot yet another fireball at Blitzle, striking it almost the same spot as the last one. Blitzle whinnied in pain and fell over on its side. It kicked out madly for a moment before it went limp and fainted.

"Growlithe! Bite Charmander!" Bob shouted. Growlithe leaped at Charmander, jaws open wide. At the last second, Charmander dodged to the side and Growlithe missed, its jaws closing on empty air.

(You'll have to do better than that.) Charmander said.

(Shut up!) Growlithe snalred.

"I'm out." Sparks said nervously as he returned Blitzle.

"Well, I'm not." Thomas said cheerfully. He turned to his Ponyta, which was still standing where he had dismounted. "Ponyta, front and center!"

(Aye-aye captain!) Ponyta neighed happily as it trotted onto the field.

"Lets start off with Tackle!" Thomas commanded. Ponyta galloped towards Growlithe. It lowered its head and, once it reached Growlithe, swung its head up. It hit the Growlithe and sent it flying. It flew through the air a few feet and landed in a shuttered heap. It laid there for a few seconds before shakily getting to its feet.

(I'm not done yet!) It gasped.

"Doesn't look like he'll last much longer," Eddy laughed. "Charmander, finish it off with a Scratch!"

(Sorry.) Charmander said as he ran towards the barely standing Growlithe. (I _really_ don't like kicking, or scratching I suppose in this place, people when they're down. But this is a battle, so I really don't have a choice.) He slashed at Growlithe with the three claws on its hands. Growlithe let out a loud, pain filled howl, and fell over. It twitched a few times, then fainted.

"God damn it." Bob said as he returned Growlithe.

"Look pal, just give it up." Thomas said, taking a more consolatory tone. "You partner, by his own admission, is out of pokémon. You're outnumbered two to one." He looked over at where Double D and Ed were battling. "And by the looks of it your other partners aren't doing any better. The only way you could possibly get out of this is if you have some very powerful pokémon up your sleeve. And if you did, you would have used it right away. Since you didn't, that is not the case." Thomas stopped, and turned back the way he had come. The faint, but increasing, sounds of motor engines could be heard. He turned back to Bob. "And that sounds like reinforcements are almost here. So you're about to be outnumbered even worse. There's not point in trying to fight anymore. Just surrender and come along quietly and make it easier for everyone, yourselves included."

Bob though desperately. The detective didn't quite know how right he was. They were outnumbered and there was no help coming. Help would never come. They were expendable. It was that simple. The only thing that mattered was getting the job done. His hand went into his pocket and fingered the flash drive. He had to get it to his boss, whoever that was. That was the only way he could avoid the wrath of heaven that would come crashing down on him if he failed. He had made a contingency plan for this possible outcome and he had obtained two pokémon for this plan. Specifically, he had made sure to obtain a pokémon with a specific move. There was going to be some consequences for what he was about to do. Then again, the consequences of failure would be even worse. He sighed. 'This is going to hurt,' he thought to himself. He grabbed one of the Poké Balls and sent out the pokémon it contained.

"Voltorb!" He shouted as the pokémon appeared.

Eddy burst out laughing when he saw the pokémon. "That's a pokémon! You've got to be kidding me! It's just an oversized Poké Ball with a set of eyes!"

Thomas, on the other hand, looked worried. "Uh oh."

"Explosion!" Bob shouted as he threw himself to the ground. "I'M SORRY GUYS!"

Thomas then threw himself to the ground. "Hit the deck!"

Voltorb exploded. There was a bright light, a loud noise, and a powerful shock wave that knocked everyone off their feet. This was followed by a tremendous amount of dust which obscured everything. Bob had braced himself for the blast, but he was still dazed by it. Clumsy, he pulled out his third Poké Ball and sent out the pokémon. It was a Pidgey. It looked at him, completely unconcerned with the dust and his ruffled appearance, and held out its leg. Attached to the Pidgey's leg was a small, black capsule. Bob took the flash drive out of his pocket and put it in the capsule. After making sure the capsule was closed tightly and that the capsule the firmly attached to the Pidgey's leg, he pointed up into the sky and shouted, "Go!" Without further ado, the Pidgey took flight and disappeared into the dust. Bob lay there on the ground, trying to regain his equilibrium. Suddenly, something heavy crashed down on his back. Still very groggy from the explosion, he didn't fight as his arms were wrestled behind his back and the cold steel of handcuffs snapped closed around his wrists.

"That," growled Detective Thomas Marter as he got off Bob's back, "was not a smart move."

* * *

 **McDean Electronics Corporation** **Building, Westerway City**

"I don't understand it detective." Nolan Wood said from behind the mountain of paperwork that was his desk. "We've gone through everything and nothing is missing."

As it turned out, the explosion had not any serious bodily harm anyone. The Eds in particular, having been on the receiving end of much worse, were practically unscathed. It had, however, stunned everyone. As a result, when Detective Marter's men finally arrived, the thieves had been mostly unable to resist as they were arrested. Unfortunately, they had also tried to arrest the Eds, which had been more a daunting prospect. Things might have turned nasty if it hadn't been for Marter, who stepped in to explain that the Eds were not criminals. Confrontation averted, Marter had arranged for the Eds to be taken to the Pokémon Center for the sake of their pokémon. After getting their pokémon healed, the Eds had then been taken to the McDean Electronics Corporation building where they had been left to wait. After almost an hour, the Eds had been ushered into Mr. Woods office where Wood himself was waiting. Almost right on their heels, Detective Marter arrived.

"Are you sure?" Detective Marter asked.

"Yes. Nothing is missing." Wood replied. "Though it has been suggested that _stealing_ was not their intent."

Marter nodded. "We didn't find anything on them." He pulled out a PDA and began opening some files. "One of the men, the one who called himself Sparks, is a computer specialist. He hasn't said anything directly, but my feeling is that they copied something."

Wood nodded. "We're looking into that, but they covered their tracks well. It might be impossible to exactly pinpoint which file they copied. Assuming that's what they did, of course."

"That's not unexpected." Marter said dryly.

"Pardon my French." Eddy interrupted. "But can either of you tell us just what the heck is going one?"

"Oh, right. Sorry." Marter said. "I didn't get a chance to explain earlier. As I said earlier, I am Detective Thomas Marter of the Dentor Marshals."

"Dentor Marshals? You mean like cowboys?" Ed asked.

"No…." Marter said, giving the three an odd look. "You three haven't been in Dentor long have you?"

Double D shook his head. "No sir. In fact, this is only are second day in the Dentor Region."

"Well that explains it." Marter commented. "Long story short, there are two levels of law enforcement in Dentor. The first level are the Local Police. This is something of a catch-all term that covers everything from a small town sheriff to a metropolitan police forces. They cover specific governmental jurisdictions, such as villages, towns, and cities. Basically, everything from the smallest village to the largest city has a police force and is their own distinct jurisdiction. Then there is the Dentor Marshals, which covers everything else. Our jurisdiction covers the routes, the various regional crimes that take place, crimes that involve inter-regional institutions, and criminal justice matters that come up between the various local jurisdictions."

"So your organization is something akin to the FBI." Double D commented.

"Yes," Detective Marter said after a moment's thought. "I suppose that's a fairly accurate comparison. Anyway, the Dentor Region is not particular crime ridden but we get a fair share of it. However, we do have our region spanning criminal organization like most our region have had at one point or another. Ours is called the Black Badge Gang."

"The Black Badge Gang?" Ed asked. "You mean like a super villain team?"

"….I think you've being reading too many comics." Marter said.

"His brain is comics." Eddy said. "Just ignore him. So who are these Black Badge Gang Guys? The one from the wanted posters?"

"Yes." Marter answered. "Put simply, they are a criminal organization. If its a crime, they've probably done it at one point or another. The difference between the Black Badge Gang and or such groups is that the Black Badge Gang has tended to be a lot more secretive than those other groups."

"More secretive?" Eddy asked. "Wouldn't any criminal want to be secretive?"

"You'd think." Marter replied. "But it seems that keeping a low profile is not high on the list of priorities for other such groups. For example, unlike say Team Flare from Kalos or Team Skull from Alola, the Black Badge Gang does _not_ wear flashy, easily recognizable uniforms everywhere they go. They have a more subtle form of identification."

"Which would be?" Double D asked.

"This." Marter pulled a Swarm Badge out of his pocket and held it up.

"A Swarm Badge?" Eddy asked incredulously.

"Not quite." Thomas took one hand and grabbed the metal part of the badge while the other hand held the pin part. He twisted the badge, which made a soft _click_ noise _._ The badge came apart, with the most of the metal part came away from the pin part. This left a small, spherical piece of metal on the pin which was colored black. He held it out to the Eds. "This is a Black Badge. Their way of identification and where they get their name."

"Wait, hold on a second." Eddy said. "So they've been converting regular badges to these Black Badge things? How is it no one's noticed?!"

Marter shrugged. "Badges are a dime a dozen. There are thousands of the things floating around. You have to know what you're looking for to be able to recognize a regular badge from a Black Badge. Things also aren't helped by the fact the League doesn't want to do a thing about it."

"They don't?" Ed asked.

"Nope." Marter replied. "For reasons best known to themselves, the League refuses, point blank, to do anything that would allow someone to track badges or who receives them. Or to just gather up badges after a season for that matter."

"Privacy concerns?" Double D asked.

"But you have to register to join the League." Marter replied. "They were going to know you had them anyway. But that thorny issue aside, we only got any clear information about the Gang a few months ago. I can't go into the full details of it, but a few months ago we arrested a man who was one of the higher ups in the Gang. He apparently thought we knew more than we actually knew about the Black Badge Gang. Once we figured this out, we reinforced this idea and let him fill in blanks. He turned out to be quite the treasure trove of information. We made a lot of arrests and practically gutted the organization."

"But if you destroyed the organization," Eddy cut in. "Then who were those guys?"

"Gutted, not destroyed." Marter corrected. "We got a lot of people, but a lot of the leadership managed to go to ground before the hammer came down. Particularly, their leader got away."

"That Nickolas Rogerson guy right?" Eddy asked, remembering the wanted poster.

"Yes. Thought I would be very surprised if that was his actual name, or if he's still using it." Marter replied. "As it turned out, Rogerson had subverted a distressing large portion of the Marshals. One of them tipped him off, and he was long gone by the time we came knocking." Marter sighed in resignation. "That was what I meant earlier when I said that their boss wasn't pulling the strings anymore. It did explain a lot actually."

"Was it that bad?" Double D asked.

Marter nodded grimly. "It was about a step down from the Marshals actually working for Rogerson. There were a lot of 'procedural errors' or 'lost evidence' that let many suspected Gang members walk free. But it was mostly getting the Marshals to look the other way or 'miss' things during investigations. Then there where the subverted higher-ups, who did everything they could to stonewall any attempt to change things. 'Hot mess' doesn't even begin to describe what was going on. It's miracle that we got as many as we did. We had to arrest a lot of our own people along with the Black Badge Gang members. We've had to all but completely rebuild the Dentor Marshals. It's going to be a while before we'll be an effective law enforcement organization again."

"Then what do we do!?" Ed cried.

" _You_ stay out of it." Marter said firmly. "Leave it to the adults." He then turned on Mr. Wood. "And I suggest that _you_ not enlist children to deal with criminals!"

"It's not like I had much of a choice!" Wood pleaded. "They were the only ones around and the thieves were getting away. And it's not like I could depend on the Marshals anyway, or the regular police for that matter."

Marter snorted derisively. "You still didn't need to get kids involved."

"Everything turned out just fine in the end." Mr. Wood argued. "They weren't in that much danger."

"You weren't there so what would you know?" Marter counted.

"Oh, that reminds me." Mr. Wood said, changing the subject. "I did promise to reward you boys for your efforts." He pulled three plastic cards out of his desk and handed them to the Eds. "These are passes for the Britsford Ferry. Just show to the ferry manager and he'll give you a ride free of charge until the end of the year."

"Free of charge." Eddy said happily. "Some of the best words in the world. So where is this Britsford Ferry?"

"It's in Britsford Town." Marter answered. "Its roughly to the west of New Greenvale Town if you take Route 7."

"We've already passed it then." Double D said.

"If you're challenging the gyms you'll have to go there eventually." Mr. Wood said. "You'll have to take the Britsford Ferry to get to the mainland. Unless, of course, you want to spend of month worth of hiking through the White Rock Mountains to get there on foot. Oh, and one more thing." He then handed the Eds three Poké Balls. Except, they weren't Poké Balls. Instead of have a red top, the tops of these were blue with two red bands on them. "These are Great Balls. They work exactly like regular Poké Balls, but they have a higher chance of catching a pokémon."

"So essentially, they are improved versions of Poké Balls." Double D said.

"Yes." Mr. Wood replied. "They're more expensive than regular Poké Balls but the improved catch rate is worth the price."

"Right. Now that that's settled," Marter interrupted. "I'd like to have a private word with Mr. Wood here. I'm sorry boys, but I'm going to have to ask you to stay here in the city. Just in case statements are needed from you. I don't think they will. Mine should do just fine but it never hurts to be to careful."

"That's okay sir." Double D said. "We were planning on staying the night in the city anyway."

"Then there's no problem then." Marter concluded. "Now if you'll excuse us?"

* * *

 **Westerway City Pokémon Center**

"So, what do you think of all this?" Eddy asked as the Eds and their pokémon ate dinner in the Pokémon Center.

"We'll do just as the detective said." Double D replied. "We stay out of it and continue on our journey."

"I don't know." Eddy commented whilst chewing on a rather bland hamburger. "I got this feeling that we'll be running into that Black Badge Gang again."

"What makes you think that?" Double D asked. "For all we know, we might not never encounter them again."

"Double D, its us." Eddy countered. "When does _anything_ we do ever go right? So far as we know, we could literally _run_ into them just stepping out the door tomorrow! Come to think of it, we've already done that!"

Double D sagged. "I suppose you're right."

"Fear not!" Ed cut in, jumping up from his seat. "For I, Ed, with my mutant deer friend and the mutant plant-frog will protect you!" Several people in the Pokémon Center turned and gave Ed strange looks.

"Shut up Lumpy." Eddy growled, practically throwing Ed back into his seat. "Besides, there's profit to be made from it. $10,000.00 is nothing to shake a stick at, and there are probably rewards for other members as well."

"But Eddy, they're hardened criminals." Double D countered.

"Hi-ho to to crime fighting Double D." Ed said, dipping a fork full of spaghetti in a cup of gravy. "Ed wants to be a super hero."

"Right," Eddy added. "Fighting criminals is a good thing. Why is it that you will nag me about how I should stop scamming, but the one time I suggest doing something good you're against it?"

"There's quite a difference between overcoming your propensity to scam and becoming a vigilante." Double D replied.

"You're focusing on the details too much Double D." Eddy said, leaning back in his seat. "Just leave the planning to me."

"That's what concerns me….." Double D moaned.

* * *

 **Elsewhere**

Nickolas Rogerson had acquired many skills over his long and _interesting_ life. Perhaps the skill he appreciated most was his ability to stay calm and collected under any circumstance. Given his profession, it had come in handy several times. For example, the recent unpleasantness that had resulted in the practical destruction of the Black Badge Gang. He credited his escape to his ability to remain calm. After all, because he was calm he managed to allude capture, covered all of his tracks, and salvage at least a part of his organization. People who panicked made mistakes, missed things, and left clues. Clues that someone could follow. That wasn't to say that someone couldn't still track him down, he just hadn't made it easy for them. Which was why when the door to his room was almost kicked in, his response was to look up from his desk and slightly raise an eyebrow.

"You're going to break the door if you keep doing that." He said mildly to the young man who stalked into the room.

"Not like it'll take much to break it." The young man growled back. The young man appeared to be in his early twenties. He was tall and lean, though he was beginning to build up his muscles. He wore a black shirt with a red triangular icon of some kind on it and a pair of bluejeans. For reasons best known to himself, he had bleached his hair white which was partially covered by a blue bandana that he almost constantly wore. "Bit of a step down don't you think?"

Nickolas shrugged. "It was available. Besides, no one would think to look for us here now will they?" There was truth in that. Up until recently, the house they were now in had been, for all intents and purposes, abandoned. It had been one of many. One more rundown house in a rundown neighborhood that was avoided by anyone with sense or the money to live somewhere else. They hadn't done much work on the house either. It had been dirt cheap and the bank that his associates had bought it from had been happy to get rid of it. Anonymity was the point of the using it in the first place and it had worked so far. Though, Nickolas considered, it might be time to look for the next safe house.

"I take it you have something to report Alger?" Nickolas asked.

The young man, Alger, took a flash drive from his pocket and placed it on the desk. "This came in via carrier Pidgey. It's the one we gave Group 54."

Nickolas took and flash drive and inserted it into a computer on his desk. "That was the operation in Westerway City if I recall."

"Yes." Alger replied. "We haven't heard anything from them and they missed their rendezvous. I think it's safe to assume that they were caught."

Nickolas nodded as the contents of the flash drive appeared on the screen. "That's a safe assumption. I'll see what can be done about it later." He clicked his way through the various files on the flash drive. "It seems everything we needed is here."

"What were they after anyway?" Alger asked.

"The plans for a failed McDean Electronics experiment." Nickolas answered.

"Failed experiment?" Alger asked in confusion.

"It was called a PokéPower Converter." Nickolas said. "A few years ago, McDean Electronics tired to create a generator powered by energy created by pokémon."

Alger snorted. "Bit late for that. People have been doing that for years."

"Yes," Nickolas nodded. "You can hook up an electric type pokémon to a machine and power it like that. However, for reasons I don't quite understand myself, it's very inefficient. It wastes most of the power that the pokémon generated. The PokéPower Converter was meant to draw the power from the pokémon in a way that none of the power was wasted. More efficient, in other words, and it worked."

"It worked?" Alger asked. "If it worked then why is it a failed experiment?"

"It worked _too well_." Nickolas said. "It didn't just draw the power that the pokémon generated. For lack of a better way of explaining it, it drew out the life force of the pokémon itself. The pokémon would die if attached to the machine for too long."

Alger snickered. "So, Squeaky Clean McDean isn't quite as clean as they like people to think they are."

"Not really," Nickolas said. "That wasn't the intended the effect, which is why they stopped working on it. The original purpose of the machine was to allow for pokémon to serve as emergency power sources, particularly for places like hospitals and Pokémon Centers. It kind of defeats the purpose if the machine kills them."

"So if the machine didn't work, then why did they keep the plans?" Alger asked. "And why would we want it?"

"To the first question, its the philosophy of the McDean Electronics." Nickolas replied. "They don't like to just drop an idea because it doesn't work. If an idea doesn't work, they will put it aside and try it again at a later point when they think they can make it work. As to the second, we don't. We are getting it for someone else."

"Which means I need to stop asking questions." Alger said.

"Exactly." Nickolas said. "Get a hold of Jager and tell him to wait the standard period before starting his job. We don't want too many things going on at once for the moment. Let him know what happened to Group 54."

"Right." Alger said as he left the room. "I'll do that now."

Nickolas nodded. "Thank you." Nickolas spent a few minutes looking through the files. Alger did have a point. What did the client need with such a machine? Then again, he had never cared about such things before. It wasn't the first time he had been hired to obtain something unusual. The client had the money and he wasn't being paid to ask questions. But it was odd. It might even be odd enough for him to do some digging. He broke that line of thought with an inward shrug. It could wait until later. He had to inform the client of developments. He pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number.

"Yes?" Came a voice after a few rings.

"We've made some progress." Nickolas said.

* * *

Next time on _Pokemon, the ED-Venture_ : The Eds get back on the road. Meanwhile, certain other people get started on the road.


	8. Of Roads and Startings

I know this must be getting old, but I sincerely apologize for the downright _glacial pace_ at which this story receives updates. My problems are two fold. First, life at the moment has not been accommodation for what is essentially a hobby. Second, my own inadequacies as a writer. Rest assured, I'm not discontinuing the story. It's just going to be _very long in coming_. Anyway, on with the chapter.

* * *

 **Cul-de-Sac**

Kevin was smiling brightly as he stepped out the door of his house. Finally, no chores today. Everything that need to be done had been done. There was nothing for him to do. As such, today was a free day. He could relax, have some fun, and maybe hang out with the other kids if they weren't doing anything. Well, maybe hang out with Nazz or Rolf anyway. With a spring in his step, Kevin walked to the street. Then it hit him. Something was wrong.

 _ **Very Wrong.**_

Kevin looked around, actually crouching as if to present a smaller target to an attacker. He'd known that something had been wrong for a while now. Specifically, there was something that should be making a lot of noise but wasn't. Before now, it had been a minor irritant on the level of a bug bite. Now, it was like a monkey was dancing on his shoulders while smacking him about the head with a dead fish. But for some reason, he couldn't put his finger on it. He looked around again, looking for something something out of place. It was around mid-morning and the rest of the kids were out and about. Nazz was watering planets in front of her house. Rolf was nowhere to be seen. Judging from the noises coming from behind his house, however, he was probably doing his own chores. Jonny was playing Chinese Checkers with Plank. He had no idea how that worked. Jimmy and Sarah were playing with dolls in the front yard of Jimmy's house.

Wait….

Sarah. Ed's little sister.

Ed. Ed, Edd, and Eddy.

The Dorks.

That's it! Where were the dorks? He looked around again. The Eds were nowhere to be seen. In fact, he hadn't seen hide nor hair of the trio in the past two days. _Two days!_ That had to be record. If nothing else, you couldn't keep Eddy from doing _anything_ for that long. Silence on the dork front was never a good sign. It usually meant that something big was in the works. The longer the silence, the big the scam. The last time the dorks had been this quiet was right before they pulled the infamous 7th Lucky Sunday Spectacular Scam. Kevin shuttered at the memory. No one, not even the dorks, ever wanted to even think about that fiasco again. That fact alone made whatever the dorks had in the works now even more terrifying. Still crouching as if he was dodging incoming fire, Kevin ran across the cul-de-sac towards Nazz's house. Nazz looked up from her chore and saw Kevin running towards her.

"Morning Kevin." Nazz said as she put down the watering can. "What's up?"

"Nazz!" Kevin gasped, throwing himself flat on the ground. He then grabbed Nazz and dragged her to the ground as well.

"Ah! Kevin! What are you doing?!" Nazz cried as she tried to pull free of Kevin.

"We've got trouble Nazz! Big trouble!" Kevin said, frantically scanning the area about them.

"Let go!" Nazz shouted, breaking free of Kevin's grasp. "What's wrong with you?"

"The Dorks!" Kevin shouted. "Where are the Dorks?"

"The Eds?" Nazz asked. "What about them?"

"They're up to something Nazz, something big. I feel it." Kevin said, looking around again. "I haven't seen them in days. You know Eddy! He can't go for more than an hour without at least trying to pull off some scam. Anytime the Eds keep their heads down for this long something nasty is in the works."

"Oh no." Nazz groaned as she stood up. "Not this again."

"What?" Kevin asked.

"You're freaking out over not being scammed. Do you realize how silly that sounds?" Nazz asked.

"I'm not freaking out." Kevin growled angrily. "I just don't want to get burned by another one of the Ed'dy's scams. Better to nip any plan of theirs in the bud before it gets started."

"Get a grip Kevin." Nazz huffed. "Remember the last time you freaked out about the Eds?"

"Oh come on…." Kevin moaned, face down on the ground. "I thought we agreed to never speak of that again."

"What happened?" Nazz asked, giving Kevin a stern look.

"We were having fun until I mentioned the Eds." Kevin said, inwardly cringing at the memories. Kevin was never one for self-reflection, particularly when it came to the more embarrassing parts of his life. This particular incident was that he specifically never wanted to revisit. "I noticed that they we hadn't seen them in a while and I kept bring it up. That made everyone else worried and derailed all of the fun we were having. We then found the bits of that monkey costume and went looking for the Eds. Then we found that Chimp World thing which, I'd like to remind you, _was a scam_!"

"Yes, it was." Nazz conceded. "But it wasn't the Eds that burned us wasn't it?"

"No," Kevin muttered. "You guys decided to play around on the stuff. I don't know why since it was built by the Eds so it was bound to fall apart at the slightest _anything_. You guys guys got stuck and I ran off without helping you."

"Exactly." Nazz said. "We had to be rescued by the _Eds_! And I was in my underwear! Do you realize how embarrassing that was!"

"Don't remind me." Kevin groaned into the dirt. "I did pay you guys back for that remember?"

"That's not the point." Nazz replied. "The point is that the last time you freaked out about the Eds you ended up causing more trouble than one of their scams." Nazz picked up her watering can and walked over to a water spigot on the side of the house. "Just chill out Kevin. The Eds will show up eventually. They'll have an actual scam for you to worry about, then you'll have a chance to pound them. That will make you feel better. Just give it time."

"Not likely." Kevin muttered under his breath as Nazz went back to watering her flowers. There was no way that it could be that simple. The Eds were up to something! He just knew it! He looked out over the Cul-de-Sac again, looking for the Eds. "Where are they?" Kevin growled quietly. He stood, unsure of what to do for a moment. He could just look for the Eds, but he crossed that of the list of options immediately. He might as well stick his head in a lion's mouth for as dangerous as that was. So he decided to do what he was already doing. Ask around. He walked over to Jonny's house where Jonny and Plank were sitting in the front yard playing Chinese Checkers. Jonny looked up as Kevin approached and gave Kevin his goofy grin.

"Hiya Kevin." Jonny said cheerily. "Wanna go a few rounds?" He asked gesturing at the checker board. "I've lost enough times to Plank already so I wanna play someone else."

"No thanks." Kevin said, wondering, not for the first time, if Jonny was crazy. "Have you seen the Eds?"

"Nope." Jonny replied. "I haven't seen them anywhere. Come to think of it, I haven't seen then in the last few days." He turned to Plank. "Have you seen them Plank?" Jonny then proceeded to stare at Plank with a blank look on his face. Kevin groaned inwardly. Talking to Jonny was always something of an exercise in futility. He was sort of like a toned down version of Ed; spending almost every waking moment in his on little world but more hygienic and annoying. The only reason why Kevin _tolerated_ Jonny was the fact that he didn't try to scam him out of his money. Kevin glared at Jonny as the silence staring dragged on.

"Well?" Kevin asked, patience wearing thin.

"Plank says he hasn't seen them." Jonny answered. "He also said you should stop being paranoid and if you leave us strung up upside down again he'll beat you into next Tuesday with a tire iron. Geeze buddy, what happened to that anger management stuff you had?"

"Forget it." Kevin growled as he walked off. So Jonny hadn't seen them either. That left Rolf, Sarah, and Jimmy. As Rolf's house was closest, being right next door, he decided to ask Rolf next. He walked down the street to Rolf's house then walked around his house into his backyard. Rolf had a large backyard where his family grew crops and raised livestock. The crops were fine but the livestock sometimes caused some problems. Specifically, the smell they made. Kevin had used to live in the city and thus had had little contact with farm animals. It was only when his family had moved to the Cul-de-Sac had he realized that pigs, cows, and chickens could smell so bad. Rolf was decent enough, even though he couldn't make heads or tails of him half the time. Kevin put up with it for, if nothing else, Rolf was the closest thing he had to a best friend.

Rolf was crouched in one of his gardens, glaring at what appeared to be a weed of some sort. "Stubborn pest." He growled. "You have survived this long, but the carrot plants will not long suffer your parasitic presence! So swears Rolf, Son of a Sherpard!" He grabbed the plant by the stem and pulled. The plant stretched out as Rolf pulled, but refused to be pulled from the ground. Rolf redoubled his efforts, grunting and snarled from the effort. The plant stretched further but still refused to budge.

"Hey Rolf." Kevin said as he approached Rolf.

"Most sincerest apologizes Kevin." Rolf grunted as he pulled. "Rolf is too busy with work for talk right now. The gardens must be weeded and prepared for the new crop. Rolf has no time for merriment and foolhardiness."

"I'll be quick then." Kevin said. "Have you seen the Eds?"

"No," Rolf growled, pulling even harder on the weed. "Rolf has not seen the Snake Oil Salesmen Ed Boys. All the better for it for Rolf has much work to do and no time to discipline the Eds Boys for the buffoonery."

"You haven't seen them?" Kevin asked.

"Do you have corn in your ears Cap Backwards on Head Kevin!" Rolf snarled as he continued to pull on the weed. "No, Rolf has not seen hide nor hair of the Ed Boys. Do not drill a whole in Rolf's belly over the Ed Boys Kevin. Take it as a gift from the gods that the Hole in the Head Ed Boys are not about to cause their shenanigans. Rolf does not wish to be left buried under a pile of bananas as what happened last time you laid an egg over an absence of the Ed Boys."

"Alright, alright." Kevin said as he turned to walk away. "You haven't seen them. I'll ask someone else." He got to the sidewalk when he heard a loud _snap_ , a cry from Rolf, and a very loud _crash_. "I guess he got that weed." Kevin muttered as he walked across the Cul-de-Sac to Jimmy's house. Now the only two he hadn't asked were Sarah and Jimmy. He was sure he'd get some kind of answer out of Sarah at least. She was Ed's sister after all.

Sarah and Jimmy were sitting on the front lawn playing with dolls. "Hey Sarah! Jimmy!" He shouted as he approached the two. "Have you seen your brother?"

Sarah glared up at Kevin. "I'm not his keeper Kevin. I don't keep track of him all the time!"

"No we haven't seen him Kevin." Jimmy said in that whine that was his voice. "And I'm happy for it! It's always a good day when the Eds are not around."

"No its not!" Kevin said, rounding on Jimmy. "It's very bad! When the Eds keep their heads down for any length of time, it usually means they're up to something big."

"Don't you start with that again!" Sarah shouted. "The last time you started on that you left Jimmy and me hanging! Literally!"

"I couldn't use my hands for a week!" Jimmy put in.

"This is different!" Kevin shouted. "The Eds have never been quite for this long! There up to something! I just know it!"

"Oh buzz off Kevin." Sarah shouted back. "Go be paranoid somewhere else!"

"Well if you want to get scammed by the dorks fine by me!" Kevin shouted. "You'll see that I was right! And when the Eds take you for all you're worth don't come crying to me!" He turned and ran back to his house. "You'll see! You'll all see! Don't say I didn't warn you!"

"I think Kevin's losing it Sarah." Jimmy commented as he watched Kevin run.

Sarah, instead, looked somewhat thoughtful. "Now that I think about it, I haven't seen Ed around the house lately."

"Oh Sarah!" Jimmy whined, throwing himself at Sarah and wrapping her in a hug. "Not you too!"

"Calm down Jimmy." Sarah soothed. "I'm not going all conspiracy theorist like Kevin is. I'm just saying that I haven't seen my stupid brother in a while. That's all. It's nothing to be worried about. He and his stupid friends will turn up eventually."

"You're probably right." Jimmy said, watching Kevin as he almost kicked in his door and slammed it behind him. "I just hope Kevin doesn't do something rash."

* * *

 **Route 2**

It had been a busy morning for the Eds. The day had started with the Eds acquiring camping equipment for their two day trek to Heatherburg. As Double D had suspected, they had found camping equipment for sale at the Poké Mart; everything from cooking utensils to hiking tents. Double D had had to do the buying because, once it had become clear that stocking up for the trip would cost the larger part of the money they had, Eddy had thrown a fit. He practically had to be dragged out of the mart by Ed, leaving Double D to buy the equipment. Double D had tried to save as much money as he could, but they had a fair bit to buy. He bought a cheep set of cooking utensils, a pot and a pan, a first aid kit, two flashlights, some batteries, a pack of generic toiletries, human and pokémon food, three sleeping bags, and one large tent, among other things. When Double D was finished, he walked out of the mart struggling with a small mountain of items and significantly less money. Eddy had been less than pleased about this, but he had gotten over it eventually. After arranging who carried what, with Eddy and Double D carrying the light stuff while Ed carried the rest, the trio had set off.

The trio had left the city and had passed the spot where they had battled the Black Badge Gang when Eddy called a halt. "Right," He said as he looked around. "First order of business, I need to catch a pokémon."

"I thought buying provisions and equipment was the first order of business." Double D said as he readjusted his pack.

"Don't get all specific on me Sockhead." Eddy sighed as he stepped off the path. He made a quick observation of the area. For as far as he could see, it was mostly open plains. There were several patches of grass and a few groupings of trees here and there. One such grouping that caught Eddy's attention was one particularly large group of trees that sat on top of a hill. "I'm looking over there." He said, gesturing at the trees as he made his way towards it.

"Oh, oh!" Ed cried as he ran after Eddy. "Can I catch a new monster too?!"

"Yes Ed. You can." Double D answered.

"But I've got first dibs." Eddy cut in. "You don't catch anything 'til I catch something first."

"No pro Joe!" Ed replied cheerfully.

"Eddy," Double D chided as they walked towards the hill. "You can't keep him from catching something if he really wants to."

"Can it Sockhead." Eddy growled back. "You and Ed already have two pokémon. It's my turn to catch one now."

"It's not like you haven't had any chances before." Double D shot back.

"I didn't say that." Eddy responded. "I'm just saying it's my turn now. And besides, I didn't catch anything before because nothing appealed to me. If a pokémon is going to be on my team, its got to have certain qualities. I'm not going to take in just any pokemon."

"Oh really?" Double D asked. "Certain qualities?"

"Yeah! I got standards." Eddy said. "Now put a lid on it Double D. I need to focus." Double D sighed and stayed silent. It took the trio a good twenty minutes before they reached the hill. The hill was not particularly large with its summit being about fifteen feet off the ground. However, the slope was extremely steep. So much so that when the Eds tried to climb the hill they almost needed clamber up it on hands and knees. Eddy and Ed managed it just fine, but Double D had had to crawl to get up the hill.

"Why did you have to pick this spot Eddy?" Double D panted as he leaned against one of the trees. "You couldn't have picked a location that was harder to get to."

"Quite whining Sockhead." Eddy said, brushing some dirt from the legs of his pants. "It wasn't that hard to get to. You're just a wimp. You need to get more exercise Double D. Besides, I picked this place because it looked like a place where something interesting would be. Now quit complaining. I'm going to go look around now." Eddy then walked into the trees. The trees were close together, but not so close that Eddy couldn't move between them with relative ease. In between the trees where a few scraggly looking bushes and several patches of grass. As Eddy made his way towards one of the patches of grass, he pulled out Charmander's poké ball and sent him out.

(So, where are we now?) Charmander asked, investigating his new surroundings.

"Alright Charmander, we're catching a pokémon today." Eddy said. He pointed towards one of the patches of grass. "So what I need you to do is go in there and flush one out."

(Actually, I think we can skip that part of the process.) Charmander said, pointing towards the branch of a nearby tree. Eddy looked to where Charmander was pointing. Sitting on the branch was a small, feline looking pokémon. It was quadrupedal, with the front of its body being a light blue color while its rear was black. It had a large head with two large, yellow eyes, a tuft of fur on its head, a smaller tuft on each cheek, and two large, oval shaped ears. There was a band of black fur around its neck and a yellow band on the lower part of each foreleg. It had a long tail that ended in a yellow, star shaped structure. Upon realizing it was spotted, the pokémon leaped from the branch and landed in front of Eddy and Charmander. It arched its back and hissed at the two.

(You're trespassing!) It hissed. (This is my turf!)

"Alright, you've got some spunk." Eddy said as he pulled out his Pokédex. "I like that."

"Shinx, the Flash Pokémon." It said. "The extension and contraction of its fur generates electricity. It glows when in trouble."

Eddy looked back at the Shinx, which was starting to glow. "It wasn't kidding about that last bit. It says you're electric type." He continued, looking back at the Pokédex. "Okay, I think you're interesting enough." He said as he put away his Pokédex. "We've found our pokémon Charmander! Blast it with Ember!"

Charmander opened its mouth and shot a fireball at Shinx. The Shinx, instead of trying to dodge, took the blast head on. It staggered, shaking its head to clear it vision and to put out the smoking fur. It regained its feet quickly and glared defiantly back at Charmander. (You'll have to do better than that!) It roared.

(What are you doing?) Charmander asked in disbelief. (Are you trying to get yourself hurt? Why didn't you try to dodge?)

The Shinx actually laughed. (Ha! I don't need to dodge!)

Charmander just stared. (Yes….yes, you do. In case your hadn't noticed, being hit by an opponent's attacks is a bad thing. Deliberately taking hits on the chin like that is a very bad strategy.)

(Don't lecture me!) Shinx roared. It charged towards Charmander and slammed into him head on again. Charmander grabbed a hold of Shinx and dug his claws into the ground. Shinx's attack pushed Charmander back a foot or two before coming to a stop. (Ha, you didn't dodge.) It laughed.

(But I didn't take the attack head on either.) Charmander snarled back.

"Wow, this guy's intense!" Eddy said gleefully. "I really want this guy now! Blast it with another Ember!"

(Please don't encourage this guy.) Charmander shouted as it blasted another fireball at Shinx. This time, Shinx tried to sidestep the attack, but it tripped and the fireball grazed it side. It winched as the fire scorched his side. (See? Dodging can be very helpful.)

(Shut up!) Shinx roared as it threw itself at Charmander. It hit Charmander in a glancing blow, knocking Charmander to the ground and sending Shinx spinning into a nearby tree. Shinx slammed head first into the tree and bounced back, landing flat on its back. It quickly regained its feet. (That hurt.) It growled as it pawed its face.

"Pop a Smokescreen Charmander!" Eddy shouted. Charmander opened its mouth and smoke streamed out. Within moments, Charmander was hidden in a cloud of thick, black smoke."

(You can't hid from me!) Shinx growled as it charged into the smoke. Almost immediately, it came charging out of the smoke and slammed into another tree. (Okay, now that really hurt.) Shinx whimpered as it stumbled around to face the smoke cloud. (Come on out you jerk! Fight me face to face!)

"Give it another Ember!" Eddy shouted. Suddenly, a fireball shot out of the smoke and hit Shinx on its undamaged side. It yowled in pain then charged into the smoke from where the fireball had originated. There was the sound of two bodies impacting, two cries of pain, and Shinx came skidding out of the smoke. Charmander also stumbled out of the smoke, landing on its backside in front of Eddy.

(We need to end this now.) Charmander grunted. (Or perhaps a potion maybe.)

"I think it's weak enough now." Eddy said as he pulled out an empty Poké Ball. "Here we go!" He threw the Poké Ball at the Shinx. It hit Shinx and Shinx disappeared into the Poké Ball in a flash of light. Shining brightly, the Poké Ball fell to the ground. It shook once. It shook a second time. It then shook a third time. It sat still, seemingly for several seconds. Then, with a loud click, the Poké Ball went still. Eddy, smiling smugly, went over to the Poké Ball and picked it up. "Haha! Now that wasn't so tough was it Charmander!" Charmander didn't respond. "Charmander?"

Charmander was still sitting on the ground, but it had gone completely rigged. Its eyes were wide and had a faraway look in his eyes. (I feel…..strange.) Suddenly, Charmander began to glow. His body started to grow bigger and its limbs began to grow longer. The claws on his hands and feet grew bigger and became more pronounced. His snout grew longer and narrower while a horn-like structure grew out of the back of its head. His tail grew longer and the flame at the end grew bigger and brighter. His underside turned a dark shade of cream while its body turned bright red. His body stopped glowing, giving Charmander and Eddy a chance to examine the changes that had just occurred. (Well,) Charmander said as he examined himself. (This was unexpected.)

"What the….?!" Eddy stared at Charmander. He turned turned back the way he had come. "Double D! Ed! Get over here!" Within a minute, Double D came running into the clearing, panting heavily as he ran. Judging by the loud thuds and shaking trees, Ed seemed to be running into every tree he could. Eventually, he came sliding into the clearing on the side of his head.

"You rang Eddy?" Ed asked cheerily.

"What…is…it…Eddy?" Double D asked between gasps.

"Somethings happened to Charmander!" Eddy shouted, gesturing at Charmander. "We just finished a battle and he started glowing. He then changed into whatever he is now! You're the smart guy so tell me what happened!"

"Give me a moment please." Double D gasped. He leaned against a tree, taking several deep breaths. After a few moments, he regained his composure. "Alright, let me see." He said as he walked over to Charmander, whipping out a magnifying glass as he went. He spent the next several minutes examining Charmander, running his magnifying glass over every inch of its body.

(This is…uncomfortable.) Charmeleon commented.

Eddy tapped his foot impatiently. "So, what happened?"

"I think I might know what happened." Double D said as he put away his magnifying glass. "Eddy, will you please try scanning Charmander with your Pokédex?"

"Alright." Eddy said as he pulled out his Pokédex and scanned Charmander.

"Charmeleon, the Flame Pokémon." It said. "Charmeleon mercilessly destroys its foes using its sharp claws. If it encounters a strong foe, it turns aggressive. In this excited state, the flame at the tip of its tail flares with a blueish white color."

"What? Charmeleon?" Eddy asked. "Its not Charmander anymore?"

"Exactly Eddy. It evolved." Double D explained. Seeing Eddy's confused look, Double D continued. "As you know, when a pokémon battles it gains experience and that when they gain a certain level of experience they learn new moves."

"I know. Just get to the point." Eddy grunted.

"Well, when most pokémon reach another point of experience they will evolve." Double D said. "They change into different pokémon in other words. When this happens, the pokémon can become more powerful and learn moves that the previous pokémon could not. They can even go through radical physical changes as well."

"Oh oh!" Ed cried as he jumped up. "Does that mean my Mutant Deer friend and Mutant Plant friend will mutate as well?"

"Evolve, not mutate Ed." Double D corrected. "As far as I know, Bulbasaur will evolve at least twice. In fact, all of our starters will evolve twice, or once more in Eddy's case. As for Stantler, I don't know."

"Oh goody goody!" Ed exclaimed. "Hurry for buddies!"

"Get stronger huh…." Eddy said, scratching his chin. "And this happens through battling right?"

"Why can't you just listen the first time Eddy?" Double D complained. "Yes, pokémon evolve by gaining experience which is gained from battling."

"Alright then." Eddy said. He marched back the way they had come. "Come on boys! We've got some trainers to battle!"

"Or we could just battle wild pokémon." Double D commented, running to catch up with Eddy.

"But we need loot Double D!" Ed said as he followed behind them.

"Yeah, exactly!" Eddy said. "We need money since you spent most of what we had!"

Double D snorted. "We were going to have to camp out eventually on this journey. I've looked at the map and we've got longer hikes than this ahead of us. We were going to have to purchase the necessary equipment eventually. That is, of course, unless you wanted to just sleep out in the open, exposed to the elements, without things like food, toiletries, medicine, or anything to make the experience even remotely comfortable."

Eddy grunted noncommittally. Ed, however, had a different opinion. "I like roughing it in the woods! Camping is good for Ed! It means no baths!"

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself Ed." Double D warned. "Just because we're camping doesn't mean we'll be devolving into savages. Cleanliness will still be very important."

"Whatever." Eddy cut in. "Time is money and we're running short of both. So get moving!"

At this point, Ed gathered up Eddy and Double D into a bone crushing bear hug and lifted the two up in the air. He then ran back to the route. "Tally-ho!"

"ED!"

"PUT ME DOWN BONEHEAD!"

* * *

 **Cul-de-Sac**

Nazz had always considered herself to be the most normal child in the Cul-de-Sac. Then again, it wasn't like that was much of an accomplishment given what there was to compare to. Kevin was hothead, egotistical jock. Rolf was a cultural fish out of water and could be very difficult to understand. Jonny was….well, Jonny. Sarah was a horrible combination of spoiled brat and ticking time bomb. Jimmy completely lacked anything even resembling a backbone or self esteem, using Sarah as something of an emotional crutch. Nazz still wasn't sure how that worked. Then there was the Eds. It was a bit harder to describe them, except for Eddy. He could quite easily and correctly be written off as the quintessential con artist. No, the problem with the trio was Ed and Double D. To put it bluntly, Ed was mentally handicapped in some fashion. She was no expert on the subject, nor was she the type of person to just ask outright. But so far as she was concerned, you couldn't be as disconnected from reality as Ed was without something being wrong. The sad thing of it was that without Eddy's influence, Ed would be harmless and maybe even a bit likable, hygiene problems aside. Then there was Double D. Why he even hung around Eddy was a mystery. He was incredibly intelligent, that was beyond question. And that, perhaps, was the problem. Double D was the poster boy for the stereotypical science nerd. His intelligence dominated his entire life, so much so that he had no social skills and no apparent interests outside of his intellectual pursuits. Perhaps the reason why he hung around with Eddy was because Eddy tolerated his idiosyncrasies more than the others. It really wasn't that far out of the realm of possibility.

In any event, being the most 'normal' person was not necessarily a good thing. This manifested in the fact that the other kids had developed the habit of coming to her for help with their non-ed related problems. At first, she had been happy to help. Now, she found being the Cul-de-Sac's unofficial mediator to be a frustrating intrusion into her life. It had become worse when the parents had caught on to this state of affairs and had started pestering her on their children's problems. As such, it came as no surprise when later on that day she had received a call from Kevin's mother. The fact that Kevin's mother had sounded more worried than usual didn't really register with Nazz. The fact that she was even calling Nazz in the first place was explanation enough. Kevin was having some kind of problem and she was being asked for help. With a resigned sigh, she made her way to Kevin's house. She arrived there to find that the situation was actually worse than anything she had experienced before. Nazz learned from Kevin's parents was that Kevin had locked himself in his room and had refused to come out.

"Kevin?" Nazz asked as she knocked on his door. "Kevin? Are you there?" There was no response. "Kevin!? Kevin, what are you doing in there!?" She shouted, now pounding on the door.

"Go away!" Kevin shouted back.

"What's wrong Kevin?" Nazz shouted.

"GO AWAY!" Kevin screamed. "THEY'RE OUT THERE! WAITING FOR ME! WAITING I TELL YOU! BUT I'M NOT GONNA LET THEM GET ME! YOU HEAR ME?! THEY WON'T GET ME!"

Nazz sighed as she leaned against the door. She knew who the 'they' was he was talking about. The Eds. Why did they have to cause problems? Even when they weren't here? She sighed again. It seemed like the only way to fix this problem was to find the Eds. "Kevin!" She shouted through the door. "I'll be right back! Just wait there!" After quickly explaining what she was going to do to Kevin's parents, she rushed from the house and went in search of Sarah. If anybody would know where the Eds were, it would be Sarah. She first went to Jimmy's house. Upon discovering that she wasn't there, she went to Sarah's house. There she found Sarah and Jimmy in the kitchen baking cookies. They had just finished and were cleaning up when Nazz walked in.

"Hey Sarah?" Nazz asked. "Have you seen your brother?"

"No, I haven't." Sarah said. "I haven't seen him in a while. Not that I'm complaining mind you. It hasn't been this peaceful around the house for a while now."

"Really?" Nazz said, eyebrow raised. "Ed's not been around for a while? What about the other two?"

"No. I haven't seen any of them." Sarah replied, annoyed now.

"Why should any body be worried?" Jimmy asked. "When the Eds aren't around, they're not bothering us. I'd think anyone would be happy for that."

"Not Kevin apparently." Nazz put in. "He's locked himself in his room and appears to be under the impression that the Eds will attack him the second he steps out. I don't think he'll come out unless we've got the Eds in front of him to pound."

"Not my problem." Sarah huffed.

"But it is mine." Nazz countered. "Kevin's parents seem to have given up trying and now expects me to do it. You know how I feel about that. Since you're the closest link I have to a solution, I'm going to lean on you until I find that solution. So all ask again. Have you seen your brother?"

Sarah glared at Nazz. In return, Nazz gave Sarah a stern look. The was several seconds of tense silence. In the end, it was Sarah who gave in. "Really, I don't know where he is!" Sarah said, throwing her hands in the air. "I haven't seen him in the past couple days!"

"Really? Days?" Nazz asked.

"Yes. Days." Sarah growled. "Like I said, things are a lot more peaceful and clean when Ed's not around. I didn't question it, I just went with it."

"Your brother is nowhere to be seen for days and you just go along with it?" Nazz asked incredulously.

Sarah shrugged. "Yeah. He's my brother sure, but I'm not his keeper. Besides, mom and dad don't seem all that worried about it."

Nazz jumped on that last statement. "Your parents know where he is?"

"I guess so." Sarah conceded. Seeing that Nazz was about to ask, she cut off with, "I'll go ask them if it'll get you off my back." She stalked out of the kitchen, grumbling under her breath.

"Curse those Eds." Jimmy muttered. "They don't even have to be here to ruin the day."

"I don't suppose you've seen them Jimmy?" Nazz asked.

"No." Jimmy responded. "I haven't seen them in the past couple days, same as Sarah." Sarah was gone for five minutes. Then ten, and then fifteen. In fact, twenty-five minutes passed before Sarah returned to the kitchen. Her face was formed into a mixture of confusion and consternation. In her hand she clutched what looked to be some kind of travel brochure. She threw the thing on the table and unfolded it across the table. It showed a map, detailing roads, cities, and various notable points of geography. Across the top of the brochure were written the words in bold type 'Welcome to the Dentor Region!' The borders of the map were decorated with strange creatures that looked like animals, nor were they any animals that Nazz recognized. The word 'Pokémon' practically covered the entire thing, though she had never seen the word before or knew what it meant.

"They went on a trip." Sarah huffed, gesturing at the map. "And this is where they went."

"Dentor Region?" Nazz pondered as she looked over the map. "I've never heard of this place before. And what's a Pokémon?"

"I don't know! Mom and dad said that they were some kind of special animals." Sarah explained. "Heck, I don't think even they really know what these things are or where this Dentor Region is! All they know for sure is that Ed and his stupid friends went there and they are going to be there for awhile apparently. Which is just fine with me! Let those idiots cause trouble for someone else for a change."

Nazz folded up the map and pocketed it. "Be that as it may, I need to show this to Kevin. Hopefully it'll calm him down."

"Whatever." Sarah said dismissively. "Just stop bugging me about it."

Not bothering to respond to Sarah's rudeness, Nazz left. She quickly made her way back to Kevin's house and Kevin's room. She pounded against the door. "Kevin! Kevin, are you still there?"

"Just go away Nazz." Kevin moaned softly.

"Kevin!" Nazz shouted back as she pulled the brochure out of her pocket. "I know what's happened with the Eds! You've got it wrong! They aren't lurking in the shadows to ambush you anything! They just went on a trip! To this place here!" She then slipped the brochure under Kevin's door. She heard a slight ruffling, which she supposed was Kevin unfolding the brochure. There was a moment of silence.

" **THOSE DORKS!"**

Nazz jumped while the house rattled. "Kevin! What was that about!" Kevin didn't respond. Instead, there was a series of loud thumps and then a series of loud clicks. By the sound of it, Kevin had apparently piled several things in front of the door as well as installed several bolt locks on the door. The door flew open, which enough force that one of the hinges cracked, and Kevin stormed out into the hallway. He was remarkably angry, angrier than Nazz could ever remember seeing him. He glowered at the brochure, which he clutched in shaking hands.

"Those dorks…." He growled under his breath. He looked up at Nazz. "I'm calling a meeting. Could you let everyone know Nazz? I'll put out when to have it. In three or four hours should be a good guess if anyone asks."

"Kevin, what…..?"

"Please Nazz." Kevin almost pleaded. "I'll explain everything soon. Lets just leave it at that. I know what the Eds are doing and I think it's something we should look into. Trust me on this. Please?"

Nazz considered for a brief moment before shrugging. "Alright, I'll let everyone know." Kevin saw Nazz to the door before returning to his room at a run. His room was nothing out of the ordinary for a teenage boy. He had a bed, with a backboard styled to look like a sport's jersey, beside which sat a nightstand. He had black, four drawer dresser on which sat a glass fishbowl complete with fish. The walls were covered with posters showing sport teams, motorcycle brands, and bikini girls. There were also bicycle parts scattered across the room in various states of unpack. When his father had gotten the job at the jawbreaker factory and started storing jawbreakers in the garage, he'd had to move his bike parts into his room. His room had one large window which faced out onto the Cul-de-Sac. From the window Kevin could see Nazz walking over to Rolf's house. Pushed up against the wall next to the window was a wooden desk. It was a fairly simple desk, with a drawer in the middle and two drawers along the side on the right. The only thing sitting on the desktop was a football and an older model laptop that he had bought for school.

"Those dorks." Kevin growled as he sat at the desk and turned on his laptop. He had to wait for a minute or two before the thing completely booted up. He got on the internet and proceeded to enter 'Dentor Region Pokémon' into the search engine. It didn't take long to find what he was looking for. In fact, an official website was the first thing that came up. After a minute or so of searching, Kevin found what he was looking for. The contact information for one Professor Anthony Hornbeam. He wrote down the information on an index card that had been sitting on his desk. He leaned back in his chair in sighed as he stared at the screen.

"I don't like the dorks." Kevin muttered to himself. He didn't normally think out loud or talk to himself but right now he felt a strange need to voice his feelings. "It almost seems like my entire existence revolves around the dorks and their antics. I was kinda hoping that I'd have something that was dork free. Not anymore. Man that sucks." He leaned forward and opened one of the drawers. He pulled out a very small, metallic sphere. He held the small sphere object up so that it caught the light. The sphere was two colors, red on top and white on the bottom. In the middle of the sphere was a small, white button which Kevin pressed. In a split second, the sphere increased to the size of something a bit larger than a baseball.

"I didn't want to start so soon." Kevin whispered to the Poké Ball. "I wanted to get some things settled before I went on a journey. Getting to know you better was one of them, but it looks like the dorks have beaten us to the punch. Looks like we've got some work to do, dude."

He pulled out a cellphone and dialed the number he found for Professor Hornbeam. "Hello, you've reached the office of Professor Anthony Hornbeam. Professor Hornbeam speaking."

"Good afternoon, Professor Hornbeam, sir." Kevin was not known for having a respectful deportment, particularly with authority figures, but he could be respectful when he needed to be. "My name is Kevin. I've seen your advertisements about the Dentor Region and I wanted to look into the possibility of some my friends and I registering for your league."

"That's wonderful! Of course we can work something out!" Hornbeam gushed. "I am a Pokémon Professor after all. Helping people get into Pokémon Training is part of my job after all. Now then, I do have to ask, are you or your friends pokémon trainers or familiar with pokémon in any way?"

"I'm not a trainer yet but I do have a pokémon." Kevin replied. "My friends, on the other hand, are completely unfamiliar with pokémon. We live in a place were pokémon do not occur naturally. Heck, I think I might be the only person for miles who actually owns a pokémon."

"I see," Hornbeam mused. "Forgive me if I'm being to presumptuous, but you and your friends wouldn't happen to live in a place called Peach Creek by any chance?"

Kevin stiffened. "Yes, we do."

"Ah, I see. I was there only a few days ago." Hornbeam said. "I met three boys while I was there. Their names were Ed, Edward, and Eddy. Would they happen to be friends of yours?"

"No!" Kevin nearly shouted. "Absolutely not! Friends with those dorks!? No way!"

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry I asked if it's a taboo subject." Hornbeam said while trying, and not quite succeeding, to stifle a laugh. "Anyway, lets get back to the subject at hand. I will have to meet with all of you to get things started. I've got no pressing obligations for the immediate future so any time within the next few days will be fine with me."

"How about today?" Kevin asked.

"Oh, ready to hit the ground running eh?" Hornbeam laughed. "But yes, like I said I've got plenty of spare time on my hands right now. I can do it today. Right now, in fact."

"No, we can't do it right now. Everyone is busy." Kevin replied. "Give us a couple hours. I can send you text when we're ready. Would that work for you?"

"Yes. That will work just fine. I look forward to hearing from you." Hornbeam said happily.

"Sure. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get the meeting set up." Kevin said.

"Very well then." Hornbeam said, practically beaming through the phone. "I look forward to see you all." After he hung up, Kevin turned his attention back to his computer and began to take in everything he could about the Dentor Region.

"It's not the start into Pokémon training I wanted," Kevin muttered to himself as he read. "But I'll be damned if I let the dorks get a head start on me with this!"

* * *

 **Route 2**

"Just give…me…a moment…fellows." Double D panted as he sat on a tree stump. "Then I'll…be ready...to continue."

"This is getting ridiculous Sockhead." Eddy complained as he fiddled with a stick he'd picked off the ground. "We're gonna get nowhere if you need to stop and rest every five minutes!"

"It's not…that bad." Double D countered as he wiped sweat from his face. "It's only been three times."

"And that's five times too many." Eddy snapped back.

"You need more exercise Double D." Ed said, laying flat on his back in the middle of the road. "For the journey of thousand miles begins with the first bowl of mash potatoes."

"It's first step…Ed." Double D said, gaining more of his breath back. "And I don't see how that saying…applies to this situation."

"Whatever!" Eddy cut in. "When we find a pokémon that is big enough to carry you, you're catching it."

"I don't want to catch a pokémon just to use it as a mount!" Double D almost shouted.

"No. I want you to catch a pokémon that you can ride!" Eddy growled back.

"But…oh never mind." Double D moaned as he stood up. "How about we cross that bridge when we come to it?"

"Whatever." Eddy huffed. "So long as you do it."

"On the road again!" Ed said happily as he jumped to his feet. However, no sooner had the trio taken a few steps forward, a grass patch on the side of the road began to shake.

"You guys can handle that." Eddy said, taking a step back. "I'm not interested in taking on wild pokémon right now."

"Oh boy!" Ed said, knocking both Eddy and Double D aside as he stepped forward. "A new monster for Ed!"

"Ed…." Eddy growled.

"Oh leave it be Eddy." Double D moaned. "It's Ed." But it wasn't a pokémon that appeared out the grass. Instead, a small, purple balloon rose from out of the grass and floated out into the open.

"BALLOON!" Ed screamed gleefully as he leapt forward and grabbed the balloon's string.

"A balloon!?" Eddy shouted, shoving Double D aside to get at the balloon. "Lets pop it!"

"No!" Ed said, holding the balloon up out of Eddy's reach.

"Ed. Hand over the balloon." Eddy growled.

"No!" Ed repeated, backing away from Eddy. Eddy leapt for the balloon. Ed quickly sidestepped and Eddy went flying past him and hit the ground. He quickly regain his feet and launched himself at Ed again. This time Ed thrust out his arm, brought his hand down on the top of Eddy's head and bodily held him back. Eddy flailed uselessly for a moment before he grabbed a hold of Ed's arm, swung up onto his arm, and began to climb up it. Ed shrieked and began to vigorously shake his arm to dislodge Eddy.

"Balloon! Hand it over!" Eddy shouted, still clinging to Ed's arm.

"No! No balloon for Eddy!" Ed shouted, still trying to shake Eddy off his arm.

"Calm down you two!" Double D shouted, trying to stop the fight before it went any further. "I'm sure we can work something out if we just sit down and talk….." He trailed off when noticed something strange about the balloon Ed was holding. The string was growing! And not just that, it was wrapping itself around Ed's arm. Then a second string emerged from the balloon and also began to wrap itself around Ed's arm. Then the balloon itself began to change. Two black eyes appeared on the balloon as well as a large, yellow X. Then a tuft of a cotton looking substance grew out of the top its head. The thing blinked, then started bobbing up and down. It took Double D a second to realize what the thing was trying to do. It was trying to pull Ed away! An attempted kidnapping!

"ED! EDDY!" Double D screamed in alarm. "That's not a balloon!" Ed and Eddy paused, then looked at the balloon. Absently, Ed brought his other arm down so that the thing attached to his arm was at eye level. Both Eddy and Ed gaped at the thing as it continued in its attempts to drag Ed off. Then the thing noticed that it had an audience, ceased its attempts, and stared back at the two. The three stared at each other for a moment.

Then Ed screamed. "GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!" He started running around in circles, flailing his arms wildly. This finally dislodged Eddy, who hit the ground and went skidding across the ground for a few feet. The thing kept its grip on Ed, but it was bashed against Ed's arm several times during all of the flailing.

"What the heck is that thing!?" Eddy shouted as he leapt to his feet.

"I don't know! I don't know! Give me a moment!" Double D said as he fumbled for his Pokédex. It took a couple of seconds for Double D to scan the thing due to it bouncing around because of Ed's flailing.

"Drifloon, the Balloon Pokémon." It said after he finally got a good scan. "These Pokémon are called the 'Signpost for Wandering Spirits.' Children holding them sometimes vanish."

"VANISH!" Double D squealed in panic. "We have to get that thing off him!"

"ED! Use one of your pokémon you idiot!" Eddy shouted.

"Help me, Mutant Plant Buddy!" Ed cried as he sent out Bulbasuar.

Bulbasuar blinked in confusion as he took in the spectacle of Ed, running around in circles and flailing his arms wildly. (Okay, what's he done now?)

"Use your Whipping Vines to get this evil balloon monster off me!" Ed shouted, flailing the Drifloon snared arm at Bulbasuar.

Bulbasuar's vines shot from its bulb and shot towards the Drifloon. It missed Drifloon the first time due to Ed's flailing. It took several tries before it managed to wrap its vines around Drifloon. Then he started to pull. Drifloon tightened its grip on Ed's arm, with the result that Ed was pulled off his feet and dragged towards Bulbasuar.

"Grab 'em!" Eddy shouted as he grabbed Ed's leg. Double D ran forward and grabbed the other leg. The two Ed's pulled one way while Bulbasuar pulled in the other.

"I don't want to be a tug-of-war rope guys!" Ed shouted as he was stretched between the two pulling forces. The Drifloon continued to keep its hold Ed's arm, but eventually started to slip. Its grip continued to loosen until, suddenly, its hold on Ed's arm broke. As Eddy and Double D had still been pulling, Ed slammed into them and they fell to the ground in a heap. Bulbasuar, on the other hand, kept its feet but had to duck to avoid the Drifloon as it sailed overhead. It kept going and was only stopped when it slammed into the tree stump that Double D had been sitting on earlier. The Drifloon made a high-pitched sighing sound, then seemed to deflate like a normal balloon that's just had its air released. Ed immediately jumped up, pulled out his Great Ball, and threw it at the Drifloon without a moment's hesitation. The Great Ball flew through the air, hit Drifloon, and sucked in the prone pokémon. The Great Ball fell to the ground and started to shake. It proceeded to shake three times before going still with a loud _click._

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" Ed said happily as he ran over to the Great Ball and picked it up. "New monster buddy for Ed!"

(But it attacked you!) Bulbasuar commented. (I wouldn't exactly call that 'buddy' material. Seems like a bad start to a relationship if you ask me.)

"What were you thinking lummox!" Eddy shouted, running up to Ed and practically getting in his face. "Why did you catch that? It attacked you! And why did you use your Great Ball!"

"It's a balloon Eddy!" Ed declared cheerfully. "Balloon for Ed!"

"It was a pokémon, not a balloon!" Eddy shot back. "It was going to kidnap you! And why waste your Great Ball on it! If you're going to have a super, special ball then you should use it on a powerful pokémon! Not some wimp pretending to be a balloon! The fact that you caught the thing without really battling it should show you how weak it is!"

"Because I wanted to Eddy." Ed said, starting to pout now. "It's never a waste when it's for a balloon."

"But it's not…oh forget it." Eddy sighed in annoyance. "But from now on, you've got to ask permission first before you use one of the good Poké Balls!"

"Roger chief!" Ed replied, giving Eddy a very sloppy salute.

(Sometimes I wonder why he puts up with that loudmouth's abuse. It was his ball. He could use it whenever he wanted to.) Bulbasuar mused to himself before Ed returned him to his Poké Ball.

"Don't be too hard on him Eddy." Double D said, coming to Ed defense. "You know that Ed can get overexcited sometimes. And besides, it was his ball and he could use it whatever way he pleased. It's not like its cost you anything."

"It's the principle of the whole thing!" Eddy countered. "You should never waste quality money on sub-par merchandise. Things like that need to be saved for the right moment so that you can achieve maximum profit."

"Only you could make an equivalence between catching living creatures and spending money Eddy." Double D commented dryly.

"And is that such a bad thing?" Eddy asked, giving Double D a snide look.

"If I said 'yes,' would it change your outlook?" Double D asked wearily.

"Nope." Eddy replied unrepentantly. "By the way, speaking of money…."

"When do you ever stop?" Double D muttered.

"Are there any profit opportunities in this Heatherburg place?" Eddy asked.

"Let me check." Double D said as he pulled out the guide. "Probably not." He said after a minute of reading. "According to this, Heatherburg is listed as a Historic Site."

"Historic Site?" Eddy asked.

"The guide says that this part of Dentor was not always part of Dentor." Double D explained. "Apparently it used to be an independent nation called Tenro. They fought wars with Dentor for several years before it was conquered and absorbed into the Dentor Region. Heatherburg used to be a fort which was placed in a very important strategic position, being situated right on top of the only feasible route that Dentor Armies coming through the White Rock Mountains would use. Several very important battles we fought there and apparently the city was never taken by siege."

"Knights and monsters! That would make a good movie." Ed commented absently.

"If it never taken then why is this it part of Dentor now?" Eddy asked.

"They sailed past the city and landed armies behind it." Double D said simply.

"Then why didn't they do that before!?" Eddy asked.

"Monsters of the deep Eddy!" Ed said, leaning on Eddy. "The monsters from the sea kept destroying the ships of warriors as they tried to cross the savage seas. It was only when one year when the monsters failed to appear that the warriors of Dentor managed to cross the sea and attack the brave defenders of Tenro. Their efforts were futile as the Dentor warriors conquered all of Tenro and the defenders of Heatherburg, isolated and starving, were forced to surrender. Thus ending the wars and resulting in the dissolution of the Tenro country!" He said all of this as if he were the narrator of some corny, old fashion radio drama.

Double D looked wide-eyed at Ed then down at the guide. "By Jove, he's right. Aside from the monsters part. Apparently, the seas around Dentor have been know for having particularly aggressive specimens of a water pokémon called Gyarados. They would attack and destroy every ship they would come across. However, one year the Gyarados all left the area for a while and ships were able to cross the seas for a period of a few months. But Ed, how did you know that?"

"I have no idea." Ed said absently.

"Why am I not surprised." Eddy growled in annoyance as he shoved Ed. "Now get off me!"

"Anyway, most of Heatherburg are preserved sites." Double D continued. "Not very many people live in Heatherburg and there aren't many businesses there. There's a Pokémon Center and a Poké Mart but there is no gym. I suppose that the best way to describe it would be to say that it's one big museum."

Eddy snorted in disgust. "I hate museums. Who would want to wander around a dusty old building looking at dusty old junk that was owned to some long dead random guy?"

"There's a bit more to it that that." Double D countered.

"Whatever." Eddy scoffed, waving his hand dismissively. "If there's no chance for money, or a gym, then I'm not interested. What's after Heatherburg?"

"Churn Tunnel." Double D sighed as he returned to his guide. "We'll have to trek through it to get to Slate Town. That town does have a gym so I suppose that that will hold your interest."

"Ha, you bet it does." Eddy said. He walked over to Double D to look at the guide. "Couldn't we just go straight to Slate Town from here instead of taking the long route through Heatherburg and this Churn Tunnel?"

"No, unless of course you wanted to spend the next couple of days hacking your way through thick forest underbrush with no trails or connections to the civilized world what-so-ever." Double D said sarcastically. "Will that hold your interest?"

"Shut up Sockhead." Eddy grumbled. "Lets just get on the move again. We've still got daylight to burn!" With that, he started walking up the route. Ed and Double D made to follow him.

"Hey you!" The Eds stopped in their tracks and turned to see a Youngster walking up the route behind them. "Any of you guys up for a battle?"

Eddy smirked as he pulled out a Poké Ball. "You're on!"

* * *

 **Cul-de-Sac**

"Alright Kevin, what's this all about?" Sarah asked grumpily. Nazz, Sarah, Jimmy, Jonny, and Rolf where gathered in the living room of Kevin's house. Kevin had step up a folding table. Sitting on the table was a large poster board, which had been set up and had a large map pinned to it. Kevin stood in front of them, typing away at a cellphone. "I hope you're still not all worked up about my stupid brother and his friends."

"I'm not obsessing." Kevin said as he finished typing. "However, as much as I hate to say it, the dorks have presented, or presented you at least, an opportunity."

"Us with an opportunity?" Nazz asked. "What are you talking about."

"Yes, Rolf is curious." Rolf added. "For your anxiety over the Ed boys concerns Rolf like when Wilfred and Victor get blisters on the mouth and feet."

"Eww…." Jimmy said as he cringed away from Rolf. "Can you keep that stuff on the barnyard Rolf? We don't want to hear about your sick animals!"

"Tis no laughing matter Boy Jimmy." Rolf admonished. "For the health of Rolf's animals is a matter of honor to Rolf. For if Rolf were to fail in such a task then Rolf would be suited for nothing more than the life of collecting night soil."

"Night soil?" Jimmy asked.

"Nope, I'm going stop you right there!" Kevin cut in, having heard that analogy from Rolf before and having been stupid enough to ask that question. "You really don't want to know." He said to Jimmy. "Now if I might get back to the matter at hand….." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his Poké Ball. He held it out towards the group as a whole. "I know what the dorks are doing and this is what it is."

"Playing baseball?" Jonny asked. He then turned to Plank. "What's that Plank?" Jonny held the board to his ear for a moment. "Yes, I know it doesn't look like a baseball! But it's not like all baseballs look the same. Heck, we've got a green baseball at home!"

"It's not a baseball you idiot!" Sarah said. "It's a shot put ball."

"Since when do the Eds play shot put?" Jimmy wondered.

"Foolish Jonny Wood-Boy and Loudmouth Sarah," Rolf declared confidently. "That is not a ball-of-the-bases nor a ball of shot putting, it is the gallstone from Yak!"

"No, no, and _definitely_ no!" Kevin answered. "This is a Poké Ball. It is used to catch pokémon."

"Pokémon?" Nazz asked, remembering the word from the brochure. "What is a pokémon anyway?"

"Pokémon are…." Kevin started to explain, but he was abruptly interrupted. There was a dim flash, like a low powered flashlight being quickly switched on then off, and a soft _pop_ noise. Then a man appeared next to Kevin. He was tall, with short brown hair and bright blue eyes. He was dressed as a stereotypical scientist. He wore a formal style of lab coat, a dark blue undershirt with a lighter blue tie, and a pair of black dress pants. What went unnoticed by everyone in the room, except for Kevin, was the thing that was sitting on his shoulder. It appeared to be a bird, but not like any bird native to the Peach Creek area. It had a small, almost completely round, bright green colored body. It had a pair of wings, each colored in an alternating pattern of black and red with a yellow patch were the wing attached to the body. It had a small, red crest on its head with two red feathers sticking out of its lower body in the back. It had two large, black eyes, a bright yellow peak, and pair of red colored feet which were clutching the man's shoulder. The thing made a small chirping noise, then slumped as if it had just made so kind of intense physical exertion.

The man smiled widely and made an elaborate, but welcoming, gesture with his arms. "Hello children! I am Anthony Hornbeam, Pokémon Professor Extraordinaire! It's such a pleasure to meet you all!"

Normally, having anyone of any description just suddenly appearing out of thin air is not something that ever happens. Naturally, anyone who would witness such an event would be alarmed by this to at least some degree. The Cul-de-Sac kids, with the exception of Kevin, were no exception. Nazz yelped and jumped back, colliding painfully with a chair and nearly falling over. Jimmy screamed and latched onto Sarah. Unfortunately, Sarah had been in mid-leap backwards, which resulted in the two falling in an undignified heap on the floor. Jonny, who had been sitting on the back of a couch, fell off the back in surprise and hit the floor with a loud _thump_. Rolf, who had been sitting in the chair that Nazz backed into, practically crawled backwards up the back the chair and then down the other side to hide behind it.

"What sort of sorcery is this!" Rolf cried in terror.

"Oh dear," Hornbeam said as he observed the effects of his sudden appearance. "I wasn't expecting that."

"Don't worry about it." Kevin sighed. "I guess I should have warned them about what was about to happen."

"What did happen!?" Sarah roared, disentangling herself from a still cringing Jimmy. "Where the heck did he even come from!?"

"Rolf agrees!" Rolf shouted from behind his chair. "How does this wizard man appeared from the thin air Kevin?!"

"It's not magic I assure you!" Hornbeam said, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. "It's all thanks to my little friend here." He reached up and plucked the small bird from his shoulder. He held out the bird to the kids. "This little guy is called Natu. He helps me get around when I need travel quickly and without hassle."

(Help you!) Natu chirped indignantly. (I do all the work.)

Nazz stepped forward to get a closer look at Natu. "What is it?"

"It's a Natu." Hornbeam replied, as if that answered everything.

"But what's a Natu?" Nazz asked.

"Oh, right!" Hornbeam exclaimed sheepishly. "Natu is a creature known as a pokémon."

"Pokémon?" Jimmy asked as he walked up to get a closer look. "What's a pokémon?"

Hornbeam beamed. "I'm glad you've asked. Pokémon are…." He proceeded to give a long explanation of pokémon; what they were, what they did, their relationship with humans, and the pokémon world in general. He also explained the concept of pokémon training to them, as well as the concept of the Pokémon League.

"So let Rolf see if Rolf understands this correctly." Rolf said, scratching his chin. "These pokémon are magical creatures of man and nature that can be captured in this tiny, metal spheres. Rolf can then make these creatures battle for rewards and Rolf's amusement."

"That's essentially correct, if more than just a bit oversimplified." Hornbeam said. "Anyway, one of my jobs as a Pokémon Professor is to find prospective trainers and get them started started on journeys of their own. Which is why I suspect your friend Kevin has asked me here today."

"Wait, you want us to be pokémon trainers?" Nazz asked. She then looked at Kevin. "And what do you mean by 'Kevin asked you'? Have you known about these things the whole time?"

Kevin shrugged. "Yup. I've known about them for all my life. There were pokémon all over the place were I used to live. I actually was planning on going on a pokémon journey of my own." He clenched his teeth in a snarl. "But the dorks beat me too the punch and I hate that! And they've gotten a leg up on all of you guys as well! We can't let this stand!"

"Now hold on, hold on." Hornbeam said, trying to calm Kevin down. "This isn't a game of one-upmanship! It doesn't matter who started first or who is ahead! The point of the journey is to learn, growth, make new relationships with people and pokémon, that sort of thing! To be sure, rivalry is a part of that, but I think you might be taking things a bit too far!"

Kevin glared at Hornbeam. "You don't understand. I….We have a history with those three."

"That doesn't matter." Hornbeam answered sternly. "This is not a profession were people with grudges do well, or are welcome for that matter. If you go into a journey with the sole purpose of just beating someone down, you _will_ wash out very quickly."

Kevin gnashed his teeth for a moment before lowering his head in submission. "Sorry."

"Wow," Sarah said in mock amazement. "Kevin actually apologized for something."

Jimmy laughed. "I don't think that's ever happened before."

"Someone call city hall and have it declared a holiday." Nazz chuckled.

Kevin went red in embarrassment. "Shut up!"

"Perhaps you can save that discussion for another time." Hornbeam cut in, trying to get the conversation back on course. "Now, most Pokémon Professors are based in areas of the pokémon world called regions. There are several regions, and you'll have to excuse me, but I'm not going to name them all here. The region I'm based in is called the Dentor Region…." He then gave a generalized description of the Dentor region. Every once and a while he gestured at the map that Kevin had set up when he mentioned some particularly important city or geographic detail. "Now that I've finished with the official spiel, I lay this question before you. Would you children be interested in becoming Pokémon Trainers?"

"Me and Plank are in!" Jonny shouted immediately. "Sounds like fun!"

"I don't know," Sarah grumbled. "But if they had Ed go then they'll probably make me do it as well."

"Oh don't be like Sarah." Jimmy said. "It sounds like fun."

"Actually, it sounds like a lot of hard work." Sarah growled under her breath. " _Hard work_ is not something you can do."

"Rolf is not sure." Rolf said rubbing his chin. "The call of adventure speaks to Rolf like Great Nana's pickled crows feet speaks to father's belly. But the chores are Rolf's to do and Rolf shutters to think of the consequences of Rolf neglecting to do them."

"I would, if my parents will let me." Nazz said. "What about you Kevin?"

Kevin nodded. "Definitely. My parents won't be a problem." He sighed. "If anything, they've been wanting me to go on a pokémon journey for a while now."

"Alright then," Hornbeam said, smiling as he checked his watch. "We've still got plenty of time in the day. If you want, we can try and get things set up now. Then we can get you started; as soon as tomorrow in fact."

"Tomorrow?!" Nazz exclaimed. "That soon?"

"Yes, In fact, it's almost the perfect time!" Hornbeam said happily. "We're only a few weeks into the session, so if you started now you could beat the rush. Also, my current batch of starters are ready to be taken by trainers. Not that it matters really, but I find that getting an early start makes everything less stressful in the long run."

Kevin shrugged. "Might as well." He said to his fellow Cul-de-Sac denizens. As it turned out, gaining the permission of the parents turned out to be not all that difficult. As Sarah had predicted, her parents were more than happy to _make_ her go. After all, they had let Ed go. Kevin and Nazz's parents also proved to not be a hindrance. As Kevin had said, his parents had wanted him to go on a journey for a while now. Nazz's parents, meanwhile, had considered the prospect to be an interesting opportunities for Nazz and had been more than happy to agree. Jimmy's parents had tentatively agreed, though Jimmy's fragility left them with some severe reservations about him going on such a trip. Their concerns were somewhat relieved when Sarah assured them that she would be traveling with Jimmy. Jonny's parents proved just as inscrutable in their manner as their son was, but so far as anyone could tell they had agreed to let him go.

However, the greatest amount of fanfare to come from the whole process was when they had asked Rolf's parents. After explaining the situation to his parents, his mother burst into tears while his father took on a stoic expression. After a moment, his father left the room. They had expected the worst, until his father returned holding an old and slightly battered looking pocket watch. He was proceeded by a small group of people, some of Rolf's other relatives as it turned out, all of whom were carrying various stringed instruments. Rolf's eyes went wide when he saw the pocket watch and thrust out his chest, eyes watering with pride. With great reverence, Rolf's father placed the pocket watch around his neck. He then hugged Rolf and said something to him in a language that the others didn't understand. Then the relatives began to bash away at their instruments and started to sing. Professor Hornbeam and the other children were confused by these events, until Rolf's mother explained that the pocket watch was a family heirloom and that the current display was essentially Rolf's father expressing approval for Rolf going on a journey. With that explained, they left Rolf and his family to their celebration. After it was established that they were all going, Hornbeam left to make arrangements for them to be flown to the Dentor Region the next day with the promise to get in contact with everyone when everything was ready. The Cul-de-Sac kids then all left for their respect homes to prepare for their upcoming adventure.

Later that night, after making his preparations, Kevin laid in his bed. He sat in the dark, with the only source of light in the room being a beam of pale moonlight which shone in through his window. He held his Poké Ball up and stared at it, though he could barely see it in the darkness. "Well, we've made our first steps. We're gonna get a chance to show 'em what we're made of soon." He whispered to the Poké Ball with a smirk. "And those dorks won't know what hit them!"

* * *

 **Route 2**

The sun had nearly set, casting everything in that red-orange glow before the true black of night set in. The Eds had been wondering where they were going to camp for the night when they came across a small clearing set slightly off the route. There was a sign next to the clearing that had the words 'Camp Site' stenciled on it. It was a rather simple setup; a circular patch of relatively flat ground with a stone fire pit in the middle of it. They also found a group of trainers who had been traveling the other way that had set up camp. There were four of them; the oldest being around his early twenties and the youngest being in his mid-teens. They had already set up camp and were sitting around the fire pit when the Eds arrived. Eddy and Ed immediately sat down at the fire pit and struck up a conversation the four trainers. Unsurprisingly, they had left Double D to set up their camp by himself.

"So where are you heading?" The oldest trainer, who had introduced himself as Charles, asked.

"Slate Town." Eddy said. "We gonna get our second badge….and money too!"

"Slate Town," one of the trainers, who called himself Ivor, pondered. "That would be Anton's gym wouldn't it?"

"If you meant the guy with the Sudowoodo, then yeah." The third trainer, named Enric, answered.

"Yes, that's the one." Ivor said. "Anton specializes in Rock type pokémon, so that's what you'll most likely be up against if you take on his gym."

"What do you mean by 'most likely'?" Eddy asked.

"He's been known to throw in Steel and Ground types during gym challenges from time to time." The youngest trainer of the group, whose name was Edwin, put in. "It kinda depends on what mood he's in at the time."

"How can he use them if he uses rocks?" Ed asked, as he pulled out a mini box of Chunky Puffs and ate the whole thing, box and all.

"Um…you're not supposed to eat the box." Enric said as he watched Ed chew. "That can't be healthy."

"…..To answer your question," Charles said after a moment of hesitation. "While gym leaders usually specialize in one type, they can and often do use others. You've challenged Greg at Westerway City right?"

"Yes."

"And he used Paras and Beedrill right?"

"Yup."

"Well Paras is a duel Bug/Grass type while Beedrill is dual Bug/Poison type." Charles explained. "They have to use pokémon that at least have the type they specialize in of course, but their teams don't have to consist of pokémon that are purely of that type. It gives them more room to strategize and makes it harder for challengers to sweep their teams."

"I see." Eddy said as he rubbed his chin. "So what would be good against him?"

The four gave each other strange looks. "You guys aren't _that_ new to pokémon are you?" Edwin asked. "Didn't you ever pick up a book or something?"

"Nope." Ed said happily. "There aren't any monsters or mutants where we live."

"Monsters and mutants?" Ivor asked. "What on earth are you talking about?"

"Ignore him." Eddy said, giving Ed a good shove. "He meant pokémon and that we lived in a part of the world that doesn't have pokémon. We've only known about them for a couple days now."

"Oh," Ivor said, caught off guard by this fact. "Well, um….."

"Rock types are weak against Fighting, Grass, Ground, Steel, and Water." Charles explained. "They resist Normal, Flying, Poison, and Fire. Rock type attacks are super effective against Bug, Fire, Flying, and Ice. I doubt you'll have anything that's Steel, or Fighting at this point. Grass, Water or Ground are probably your best option at this point. Their are plenty of chances to get a hold of some Grass and Water types and Churn Tunnel has a bunch of Ground types so you should be fine."

"Alright." Eddy said as he did his best to commit what Charles had just said to memory. Then again, Double D probably would this memorized by now. "So what pokémon does this Anton guy use?"

"Sorry, but you'll have to find that out on your own." Enric said. "We're not going to spoil all of the fun for you."

"Oh, what about the next gym?" Ed asked, butting Eddy of his seat as he pushed back into the conversation. "What does it use? Zombies? Squids? Bigfoot? The Loch Ness Monster? The blood sucking mutant potato weasels from the Clockwork Galaxy of the 78 and 1/16th Century?"

The four trainers looked at Ed as if he'd just grown a second head. "…..Are you sure he's sane?" Charles asked Eddy.

"What is wrong with you!? What did that have to doing with anything we were talking about!?" Ivor shouted.

"Calm down!" Enric said, placing a hand on Ivor's shoulder. "It's not worth losing your temper over."

"No need to shout at least." Edwin said as he rubbed his ear. "Or shout in my ear anyway."

Eddy shrugged. "He's been like that for as long as I've known him. The best thing to do his ignore him when he goes on his little tangents. Anyway, what about the third gym?"

"The third gym is in Interpine City." Enric said. He turned to Charles. "That would be Adelia's gym right?"

Charles nodded. Seeing the obvious question coming from Eddy, he continued, "Grass type attacks are effective against Ground, Rock, and Water type Pokémon. Grass type pokémon are weak against Bug, Fire, Flying, Ice, and Poison type attacks."

"Or Psychic types if you live in Kanto." Edwin put in. He, Enric, and Ivor snickered while Charles gave the three a disapproving look. Eddy, who assumed it was some kind of an inside joke, stayed silent. Ed, on the other had, went into a full on belly laugh. He went on for a solid minute, oblivious to the looks he was receiving from the four trainers and Eddy. He then abruptly stopped, with a confused look on his face.

"I don't get it." He said.

"A long time ago, and I do mean a _long time ago_ ," Edwin said, deciding to ignore Ed's antics. "Most people in Kanto thought that Grass was weak to Psychic. It's not, by the way."

"If it's not, then why did they think it?" Eddy asked.

"Because at the time they believed that, pokémon typings were not well understood." Charles explained. "Pokémon science was in its infancy back then and, in the case of pokémon typing, they could only go off of what they saw. As a result, in Kanto people saw that Psychic type attacks were super effective against the Grass types that most people had so they assumed that Grass was weak to Psychic. The truth behind this was that the Grass type pokémon that are most readily available in Kanto are part Poison, which is weak to Psychic. In Kanto, when a trainer uses a Grass type they are usually either Bulbasaur, Oddish, or a Bellsprout and their respective evolutions. They are all part Poison type and as such are weak to Psychic attacks. Kanto has only one pure Grass type pokémon called Tangela, and as it's fairly rare it's not commonly used. The last two, Paras and Exeggcute, are not rare but they are only found in specific locations. While they are not as an uncommon sight as Tangela, they aren't used that often. In other words, if a Kanto trainer were to use a Grass type it would most likely be part Poison and thus weak to Psychic."

"I see." Eddy said, having lost track of the explanation half way through. Which was better than Ed, who had stopped paying attention after the first four words.

"But I'd like to point out that no one believes that anymore." Charles continued. "They figured out what was going on a long time ago. In fact, the confusion was part of the reason why Professor Oak first invented the Pokédex in the first place. These days it's something of an old in joke among trainers." At that point, the conversation turned to general matters with the trainers giving Eddy and Ed some advice. It was late when the four trainers retired to their tents, at which point Eddy and Ed decided to hit the hay as well. By then Double D had set up the tent and had been feeding the pokémon. He was sufficiently tired to desire to sleep as well.

"Couldn't you buy a bigger tent?" Eddy said as the three settled down in their tent. While it wasn't a tight fit, space was limited. "Or bought three tents?"

"Like I said, I had to go cheap." Double D said as he made himself comfortable. "This was the cheapest out of all the options available. We're not exactly operating on unlimited funds here. And don't you dare complain! I bought our equipment and I was the one who set up the tent! If you don't like it than you can sleep outside!"

"Whatever. Don't get a knot in you sock Double D." Eddy said as he got in his sleeping bag. "You got that clock set? I want to get an early start tomorrow."

Double D held up a small, battery powered alarm clock. "Yes, it's all set and ready to go."

"Early to bed and early to rise makes the butter spread on the toast guys." Ed said from his sleeping bag.

"What he said. I think." Eddy said as he settled down to sleep. He placed ear buds in his ears as Ed started to snore loudly. "I want to get to this Heatherburg place before nightfall tomorrow and I don't want you lagging behind because you're tired. Now go to sleep."

Double D sighed as he settled in for the night. They were going to have to get used to camping out on this journey. He had studied their map of the Dentor Region and had found several routes that would take days to trek. Perhaps Eddy had been on to something when he had suggested that Double D get a pokémon to ride. Upon reflection, it didn't seem like such a bad idea. He'd have to look into it at some point. Or eat least more comfortable sleeping equipment at any rate. He shifted around, trying to find a comfortable position. He had tried to clear the ground before he set up the tent, but it felt like he might have missed a rock or two. Then the noises started. Aside from Eddy and Ed's snoring, the forest around them came alive with the sounds of nocturnal pokémon, or at least he assumed they were pokémon anyway. He moaned as he buried himself in his sleeping bag in an effort to block out the noises.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Next time on _Pokemon, the ED-Ventures_ : The Eds continue on their way to Heatherburg City while the Cul-de-Sac kids arrive in Dentor to start their Pokemon journey...mostly.


	9. Party Status Update 2

**Eddy**

 **Name:** Charmeleon

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 16

 **Ability:** Blaze

 **Moves:** Scratch, Growl, Ember, Smokescreen

 **Name:** Shinx

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 12

 **Ability:** Intimidate

 **Moves:** Tackle, Leer, Charge, Baby-Doll Eyes

 **Double D**

 **Name:** Squirtle

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 12

 **Ability:** Torrent

 **Moves:** Tackle, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Withdraw

 **Name:** Pidgey

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 14

 **Ability:** Keen Eye

 **Moves:** Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust, Quick Attack

 **Ed**

 **Name:** Bulbasuar

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 13

 **Ability:** Overgrow

 **Moves:** Tackle, Poison Powder, Vine Whip, Leech Seed

 **Name:** Stantler

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 11

 **Ability:** Intimidate

 **Moves:** Tackle, Leer, Astonish, Hypnosis

 **Name:** Drifloon

 **Gender:** female

 **Level:** 11

 **Ability:** Aftermath

 **Moves:** Constrict, Minimize, Astonish, Gust

 **Kevin**

(This might be a bit pointless, but...)

 **Name:**?

 **Gender:**?

 **Level:**?

 **Ability:**?

 **Moves:**?


	10. The Annoyances of Arriving

Going to keep this short. If you're still following this story, thank you. You have the patience of a saint

* * *

 **Elsewhere**

She sat on a small windowsill, leaning against the somewhat grimy window and looking up at the nighttime sky. It was around midnight, or at least she thought is was midnight anyway. The room she was using didn't have a clock. It wasn't a particularly big room. There was enough space for a small bed, a nightstand, and a small table, with a bit more room to walk around in. She had spent the past two nights in this room, but, if precedence held, they would be moving soon. They had had to move around a lot lately. This was the tenth place they'd stayed in in the past four months. It wasn't a mystery as to why she and her caretakers had been on the move lately. Someone was after them. Specifically, someone was after her _friend,_ which she was currently clutching in her arms. Suddenly, a small light streaked across the night sky, vanishing as soon as it had appeared.

"A shooting star," the girl whispered to her friend. "Was that one of your friends?" Her friend didn't answer. Not that she expected one. Her friend didn't speak, or do much of anything really. Crystals were completely inanimate after all, or at least normal ones were. This crystal that was her friend, however, was different. Aside from the fact, or at least according to her grandfather, that it had come from outer space, this crystal felt _alive._ It was almost as if the crystal was simply an inanimate part of some kind of living being; like the shell of a Shellder or the cocoon of a Metapod. On top of that, it felt like some sort of _connection_ had formed between her and whatever lived in the crystal. The connection was limited; she couldn't really talk to her friend. It was more like she could sense its emotions and it could sense hers. It had been very confusing to try to understand and had even been more confusing when she had tried to explain it to her grandfather. Her grandfather had smiled, nodded, and said that he understood. She didn't think he did, as he hadn't explained it when she asked him.

Another shooting star streaked across the night sky. The girl felt a slight sense of warmth, along with a vague feeling of happiness, from the crystal. Sometimes it was hard to understand what the crystal was sending her. This felt like it might be reassurance or contentment; the positive emotions tended to have an underlying sense of warmth. She hugged the crystal tighter in response. "Those are you're friends aren't they. Do they actually come down to earth or do they just pass by for a visit?" The crystal radiated slightly with a lukewarm feeling which she took to mean that it didn't know. It then sent her a feeling that the girl could be describe as a cold chill running down her spine. "Don't worry. Everything will turn out alright in the end. Grandpa and Conor will keep us safe." The girl climbed down off the windowsill and slipped into the bed. Placing the crystal beside her, the girl pulled the covers up and over herself and the crystal. She then pulled the crystal into an embrace again as it sent her sensations that she thought were meant to be comforting.

"At least," the girl whispered into the darkness. "I hope so….."

* * *

 **Route 2** **Campsite**

"Argh! It feels like I've been sleeping on a rock." Eddy said as he stretched. "Didn't you clear the ground before you set up the tent Sockhead?"

"Yes, I did Eddy." Double D grumbled as he packed up his sleeping bag. "I cleared out everything I could find. Perhaps if you had helped me construct our campsite than it would have been more to your tastes. One person can only do so much."

"I was talkin' with those guys!" Eddy retorted as he gestured to the other group's campsite. "I though you'd appreciate me trying to make some civil conversation!"

"I would, if it wasn't for the fact that you left all the strenuous labor to me as a result." Double D grumbled as he started to dissemble the tent. "I'm perfectly content to assemble and disassemble the tent, since I highly doubt it would survive Ed and yours' haphazard ministrations. However, I am highly annoyed that neither you or Ed helped with anything else! One person should not be expected to construct a camp for three people by themselves!"

"Keep it down, Sockhead." Eddy snapped back. "Those are still sleeping."

"Oh, really…." Double D fumed. "Don't try to take the moral high ground with me Eddy. The mere concept of that occurrence is as preposterous as it is inconceivable."

"Big words hurt Double D." Ed moaned as he just stuffed his belongings haphazardly into his backpack.

Meanwhile, the trio's pokémon were gathered in a group off to the side of the camp. They had just finished off their breakfasts and were taking stock of the new arrivals. Bulbasaur made his opinion abundantly clear. (I don't like you.) He growled, jabbing one of his vines at Drifloon. (Why did you attack our trainer!)

(I wasn't trying to attack him!) Drifloon whimpered. (I was just trying to make friends!)

(By kidnapping him?) Stantler asked dryly.

Drifloon raised her string like arms in the approximation of a shrug. (It's how my parents said it was supposed to be done. They said that for a Drifloon to make friends they had to was to drag the person away. It's how all Drifloon make friends!)

(Really?) Bulbasaur asked sarcastically.

(Really! Or, at least that's what I was taught.) Drifloon moaned. (Though, come to think of it, I don't think I've ever meet another Drifloon who was successful in doing such a thing. Most Drifloon who try it are never seen again.)

(They get caught or knocked out, in other words.) Bulbasaur snorted. (But what was that about kidnapping children?)

(They said it would be easier with children.) Drifloon said. (But we don't kidnap them, not really. We're just trying to make friends.)

(Isn't taking someone against their will kidnapping?) Squirtle asked.

(Then technically our trainer's kidnapped all of us.) Pidgey said, slapping Squirtle across the back of his head with his wing. (Don't make the conversation even more awkward than it already is!)

(Well, if Ed decided to catch you then I guess we should give you a chance.) Stantler sighed resignedly.

(Perhaps, but I don't have to like it.) Bulbasaur huffed.

(Yay!) Drifloon cried out as she wrapped her string arms around Stantler and Bulbasuar. (We're all going to be good friends! I just know it!)

(Don't get ahead of yourself!) Bulbasaur and Stantler said almost in unison. Meanwhile, Charmeleon and Shinx were have a different sort of conversation.

(Make sure you eat all of you food, little brother.) Charmeleon said as he watched Shinx wolf down his food.

(No need to tell me twice.) Shinx replied, happily face down in his food bowl. Shinx then did a double take and looked back up. (Wait, little brother?)

Charmeleon nodded. (That's what I said.)

Shinx looked confused. (But we're not brothers.)

(We are now.) Charmeleon said.

(What makes you say that?) Shinx asked.

(We have the same trainer and we're on the same team.) Charmeleon responded.

(Does that make us brothers?)

Charmeleon shrugged. (It does in my mind.)

(….I don't know how to feel about that.) Shinx said after a moment of awkward silence.

(It's just how I feel about it.) Charmeleon said. (I won't force it on you if it makes you feel uncomfortable.)

(No, it's not that. I'm not completely against the idea.) Shinx said, a bit nervously. (It's just I do have actual siblings; three brothers and two sisters in fact.)

(And you didn't get along.) Charmeleon commented.

(I was the smallest.) Shinx said bluntly. (I was always the smallest, which meant I was the weakest.)

(I believe humans call that being 'the runt of the litter.') Charmeleon said.

(I had to fight them for everything.) Shinx continued. (And I mean fight! Not roughhousing or play fighting, I mean tooth and claw fight. I lost most of the time, which meant I often went without food. They loved to take food from me. I nearly starved a few times.)

(How did your mother react to all this?) Charmeleon asked.

(She encouraged it.) Shinx growled bitterly. ('It was for the best' she said. 'You have to be strong enough to survive on your own' she said. 'No one is going to look after you. You need to do it yourself.' She stepped in to keep me from dying a few times, but I'm pretty sure it was out of maternal instinct than out of any real affection for me. Eventually, they drove me away from the nest with threats of death if I ever came back. So I've been on my own, fighting for survival, until you guys caught me.)

(So, for you, siblings have always been the enemy.) Charmeleon said sympathetically.

(Yes.) Shinx said. (But, like I said, I'm not against your idea of it. For starters, you're actually letting me eat.)

(I'll never do anything like that.) Charmeleon said. (You don't need to worry about that so long as I'm around. In fact, here.) He pushed his bowl, which was still about one-third of the way full, towards Shinx. (I've eaten my fill so you can have the rest of mine.)

(You don't need to do that!) Shinx said, actually blushing with embarrassment.

(It's alright.) Charmeleon reassured. With some clumsiness because of his claws, he picked up the bowl and poured into Shinx's bowl. (Just eat your fill.)

(Thanks.) Shinx said as he went back to eating.

(Just let me know when you've made your decision.) Charmeleon said as he watched Shinx practically inhale the rest of his food. Meanwhile, Squirtle and Pidgey had been having a conversation of their own.

(That's a bit unusual.) Pidgey said, having observed the entire conversation between Charmeleon and Shinx.

(What is?) Squirtle asked, looking up from his bowl.

(Charmeleon getting this emotional brotherly love attitude.) Pidgey said as he gestured at the two with his wing. (Since when did Mr. Stoicism Incarnate get a soft side?)

(Oh, he's always been like that.) Squirtle laughed. (You see, Charmeleon was the first to hatch out of all of us. I was the second, by the way. Anyway, he took being the oldest to heart and really threw himself into being a 'big brother.' Being the first pokémon on his team, he considers himself to be the 'big brother' of his team and he considers all of the other pokémon as his little brothers and sisters.)

(And you guys think I'm condescending.) Pidgey huffed.

(There's no 'think' about it.) Squirtle retorted. (You are!)

(Absolutely not!) Pidgey fumed. (Such petty things as that are well below the stature of a pokémon of superior breeding such as myself.)

(Whatever!) Squirtle moaned. (And he doesn't mean to be condescending about it or anything. The idea is that he feels the need to be something of a mentor and guardian of pokémon that he believes come under his purview. I know it can come off as high handed and demeaning, but he really does mean well.)

(If you say so. It's none of my business in anyway.) Pidgey grunted. (In any event, we have more important topics to discuss.)

(Like what?) Squirtle asked.

(Like when is our trainer going to catch another pokémon!) Pidgey responded. (In case you hadn't noticed, our current team has one significant weaknesses!)

(We're still at the beginning of our journey!) Squirtle said. (Boss's still got plenty of time to catch more pokémon. It's not like we're in a hurry or anything.)

(The issue is not necessarily how fast he catches pokémon.) Pidgey conceded. (However, it doesn't address the weaknesses issue!)

(We're both weak to electric types.) Squirtle cut in. (Yes, I'm very much aware of it. I was listening to what those guys were talking about last night. Apparently we are coming up on this Churn Tunnel place, which has some ground types that Boss can catch.)

(Argh...caves.) Pidgey shuttered. (I hate caves.)

(Why?)

Pidgey glared. (Rocks, which I'm weak too. Also, there's no room to fly properly.)

(Oh, I hadn't thought of that.) Squirtle admitted sheepishly.

(Obviously.) Pidgey huffed. The conversation was cut short by the Eds, who had finished packing their camping equipment, and were making ready to continue their travels. The Eds returned their pokémon to their Poké Balls, and Double D took a moment to wash our their food bowls in a nearby creek. After making one final check that they had everything and saying goodbye to their fellow campers, the Eds continued on their journey.

* * *

 **Route 2, a few hours later**

"Squirtle! Use Bubble!" Double D commended. Squirtle inhaled deeply and blew out, shooting a stream of bubbles out of his mouth. The stream of bubbles sailed effortlessly through the air and hit their target, a Litwick owned by the musician he was battling. The Litwick made a small squeal of terror as the bubbles hit it. It was thrown on its back in front of its trainer, and promptly fainted.

"Sorry about that buddy." The musician said as he returned the Litwick. "Them's the breaks unfortunately." He then pulled out another Poké Ball. "You're up Chatot!" With a bright flash, the Poké Ball opened and a small, bird-like pokémon appeared. Its plumage was a mix of several bright colors; a yellow chest, a green belly, and blue wings. Its black colored head was in the shape of an eighth note; the oval part forming the head and the stem and note flag forming a crest that protruded out of the back of its head. It had a long, black colored tail in the shape of a metronome. It also had a ring of white colored feathers sticking out in a ring around its neck. Its beak and eyelids were a dark pink color and its claws were a dull yellow.

"What's for breakfast? What's for breakfast?" The Chatot squawked.

"What?" Double D cried in amazement. "I though pokémon couldn't use human language!"

"Oh! I know!" Ed shouted as he dug his Pokédex out of a filth incrusted jacket pocket. "The Machine of Pokémon Knowing Stuff can tell us!"

"Chatot, the Music Note Pokémon." Ed's Pokédex said. "Its tongue is just like a human's. As a result, it can cleverly mimic human speech."

"Amazing!" Double D exclaimed.

"Too cool!" Ed added.

"I know!" The musician added happily. "Chatot is a real oddity of the Pokémon world. In a good way, I mean. He's really useful when I perform. He's a pretty good singer!"

"Boring!" Eddy cut it. "I don't care if that thing could perform Shakespeare or sing the Star-Spangled Banner! Just get to the battle!"

"Oh, right. Sorry." Double D apologized. He pulled out Squirtle's Poké Ball and returned him. "That's enough for now Squirtle. Pidgey, you're up!" He sent out Pidgey, who proceeded to strut around a bit.

(Be amazed, peasant!) He declared. (For I have graced you with my superior presence!)

"Potatoes and gravy! Fish and chips please!" Chatot squawked in return.

"This guy had a few owners before me." The musician said. "He has quite the vocabulary. It's mostly non sequiturs and don't make a lick of sense, but its impressive for all that."

"Whatever! Just get to the battle!" Eddy roared.

"Calm down Eddy!" Double D admonished. "There's no need to be rude! Now then, Quick Attack!" Pidgey shot forward and slammed into Chatot at high speed.

"The car backfired! The car backfired!" Chatot squawked in pain.

"Use Mirror Move!" The musician shouted. Chatot shined brightly for a moment, then shot at Pidgey. It slammed into Pidgey, causing Pidgey to lose altitude.

(HOW DARE YOU!) Pidgey squawked in rage and pain. (HOW DARE YOU COPY ME! ME! IMITATION IS NOT FLATTERY YOU MANGY FEATHER DUSTER!)

"Can it! Can it!" Chatot chirped.

"Pidgey, use Tackle!" Double D commanded.

(Take notes you barbarian!) Pidgey snapped as it flapped hard to gain back altitude. Within seconds, it had gained sufficient altitude so that it was above Chatot. It then folded in its wings and dove down on Chatot. It slammed into Chatot with tremendous force.

"Chatot! Grab a hold of Pidgey and use Peck!" The musician commanded. Chatot's claws shot out and clasped into Pidgey. It then started viciously pecking at Pidgey. Pidgey squawked in pain and flapped vigorously to break free from Chatot's grasp. Unfortunately for both of them, Chatot's attacks and Pidgey's attempts to escape took up all of their attention. This meant that neither of them were making any attempt to stay airborne.

"Pidgey!" Double D screamed in alarm. "You're descending! You need to ascend now!" Alas, it was too late. Pidgey and Chatot hit the ground with a dull _THUMP!_ The force of the impact separated the two, with the two bird pokémon bouncing away from each other and landing in a feathery heap in front of their respective trainers.

(That. Hurt.) Pidgey spat in pained disgust.

"Liver with no onions!" Chatot groaned in a squawk. "Onions with no liver!"

"Use Sand Attack Pidgey!" Double D commanded.

(Take this you boor!) Pidgey shouted as he flapped his wings, blowing dust and dirt into Chatot's eyes. The Chatot shrieked in pain as it rubbed at its eyes with its wings.

"Mirror Move his Sand Attack back at him Chatot!" The musician shouted. Chatot began to glow, then used its wings to fling dust and dirt back at Pidgey. However, due to its impaired eyesight, Chatot's aim was abysmal and its attack missed Pidgey by a wide margin.

(What was that?) Pidgey laughed as he returned to the air. (I've seen Metapods with better aim than that!)

"Give it another Tackle!" Double D ordered. Pidgey swooped down on the still grounded Chatot and slammed into it. Chatot was knocked off its feet and was forced back a few feet. Unfortunately, it was forced right back into the musician's shins. The musician yowled in pain and fell face over in the dirt.

(….That wasn't supposed to happen.) Pidgey muttered as he returned to the ground.

"Oh dear!" Double D said. He ran over to the musician and helped him to his feet. "Sincere apologies! Are you alright? It wasn't my intention to hurt you!"

"I'm alright!" The musician said as he dusted himself off. "It was an accident, no harm done. But I think I'm done with battling for today." He gestured to his Chatot, which had fainted. He returned Chatot to his Poké Ball. "Good work Chatot." He said to the Poké Ball. He then handed prize money over to Double D. "Good battle. I take it you're on your way to Heatherburg?"

"Yup!" Ed said as both he and Eddy walked over to the two. "Onward to badges!"

"Slate Town, you dolt." Eddy growled.

"Town Slate!" Ed cried in oblivious glee.

"Excitable fellow," The musician commented.

"He means well, but yes, he can go overboard sometimes." Double D said.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Eddy cut in. "Are we close to that Heatherburg place?"

"No, it's still a few hours up the road." The musician said. "But you should get there before nightfall if you keep a good pace. But, there might be a problem."

"Problem?" Double D asked.

"Well, you have to cross a river before you get to Heatherburg." The musician said.

"And what?" Eddy asked. "No bridge?"

"No, there's a bridge." The musician said. "It's just that the river it crosses is home to a bunch of Basculin."

"Never heard of it." Eddy said rudely.

The musician ignored Eddy's rudeness and explained. "Basculin are a water type pokémon whose chief claim to fame is that they are remarkable aggressive pokémon. They will attack anything and everything that they can sink their _very_ sharp teeth into. The batch that live around here have gotten into the habit of schooling around the bridge and attacking everything that tries to cross it. There are a couple other places were the river can be crossed without having to deal with the Basculin. You'll have to go out of your way a bit, but it's worth it for the safety it provides."

"And why would we want to do that?" Eddy sneered. "We've got pokémon. We'll just use them to fight the fish off. I don't see how that would be too difficult."

The musician laughed. "Yup, you've never seen a Basculin. Either way, it's not my problem now. You boys have fun!" With that, the musician went on his way. When the musician was out of earshot, Double D turned on Eddy.

"There was no reason to be rude!" He scolded.

"I wasn't being rude!" Eddy shot back. "I didn't even call him anything!"

"Insulting people is not the only way to be rude." Double D admonished. "You're attitude, for example. It was way out of line for a man who was giving us polite advice."

"Whatever Sockhead!" Eddy growled. He pushed past Double D and started walking away. "Now if you're done being a goody-goody-two-shoes, we need to get moving. I don't want to spend another night roughing it in the woods!"

"That Eddy." Double D growled under his breath as he followed after Eddy. "Sometimes I wonder if he learned his manners from a pack of wild dogs."

"Oh, oh, Double D!" Ed shouted, throwing himself on Double D. "I almost remembered to not forget to not forget!"

"Ed!" Double D groaned under Ed's weight. "Get off me please!" With a massive shove, Double D just barely managed to push Ed off of him. However, the effort left Double D winded and he had to lean over and catch his breath. "I don't mean to offend Ed but you're really heavy." He puffed. "I suggest you lose some weight or, at the very least, stop eating Chunky Puffs by the metric ton. Now, what were you saying?"

"The Poké Ball of your turtle friend!" Ed said. He pointed at Squirtle's Poké Ball with an excited flourish. "It was shinning and glowing!"

Alarmed by this, Double D snatched up Squirtle's Poké Ball. With his other hand, he pulled out the magnifying glass that he kept on his person at all times. He proceeded to examine the Poké Ball closely, looking at it from every angle imaginable. "I don't see anything different or wrong about it." He said eventually. "Are you sure you saw it glowing?"

"Sure as pickled onions Double D!" Ed replied.

"Right." Double D said, ignoring Ed's analogy. "I shall call out Squirtle to ascertain if perhaps something untoward has happened to him." He pressed the button on the Poké Ball and Squirtle appeared in a flash of light. Except, the pokémon that appeared before them was not Squirtle. It was a bipedal turtle, larger than Squirtle had been. Its skin was a darker shade of blue with an even darker patch under each eye. It had two large ears and a long tail that were coated in pale blue fur. It had a large shell whose upper half was a light brown color while its lower half was pale yellow. The two parts of the shell were separated by a thick, white rim that ran around the circumference of the shell. It had two short arms that ended in three-clawed hands and two short legs. The pokémon blinked in surprise and examined itself.

(Well,) It said aloud. (This is new.)

Double D smiled brightly and clapped his hands together in joy. "Oh my! My Squirtle has evolved!" He pulled out his Pokédex and scanned his new pokémon.

"Wartortle, the Turtle Pokémon." It said. "Its tail is large and covered with a rich, thick fur. The tail becomes increasingly deeper in color as Wartortle ages. The scratches on its shell are evidence of this Pokémon's toughness as a battler."

(Hey!) Wartortle growled. (I don't want to have scratches on my shell. I can still be a good battler without damaging my body! Wait, does the shell count as my body?)

"Way cool Double D!" Ed said, eyes wide with excitement and expected hope. "Will my pokémon evolve soon too?"

"I suppose so." Double D said as he returned his Wartortle. "I did some research on our starter pokémon back when we were in Westerway City. Apparently, all starter pokémon reach their first evolutions fairly early. It would be fairly safe to assume that since Eddy's Charmander and my Squirtle have evolved, your Bulbasaur should be evolve after a battle or two."

"Hurray from mutant frog/plant buddy!" Ed cried out in happiness. "Mutations for Ed!"

Double D sighed in resignation. "Right. Mutations."

"HEY! WHAT'RE YOU TWO DOING!" Eddy shouted. He had not stopped to watch the spectacle and was now almost out of sight. "I SAID GET A MOVE ON!"

"HUNKY-DORY EDDY!" Ed shouted back. Ed then grabbed Double and slung him up onto his shoulder. Double D, deciding that there was no point in arguing, stayed silent as Ed ran after Eddy.

* * *

 **Peach Creek Airport, on the Tarmac**

"Confound this belt of the seat! Why must you torment the Son of a Shepard!?"

Nazz sank low in her seat to avoid the curious looks that the other passengers were giving their group. She would have sunk into the seat entirely, if it hadn't been for the fact that both she and the seat remained stubbornly solid. She had known, from the second she had been told that they were flying to the Dentor Region, that getting on the plane would be something of a minor nightmare. Unfortunately, her exceptions had not been wrong in the slightest. The first problem had been with the check-in. Jonny had reacted badly when told that he couldn't take Plank with him into the cabin. He had argued with the airport staff who, unsurprisingly, had been completely unwilling to budge on the matter. Kevin had solved the problem by ripping Plank from Jonny's grasp, throwing it in with their luggage, and had threatened to pound Jonny into the dirt if he so much as thought about complaining. Jonny hadn't said a word since. Then came the security screening. Nothing had happened, but the process had been just as unpleasant as she had been led to believe. And now, they were on the plane, almost ready to take off, and Rolf was having trouble with his seat belt.

"Dude! It's just a seat belt!" Kevin shouted in exasperation. "Just sit in the seat and attach the buckle to the connector!"

"Blasted thing!" Rolf snarled in frustration. "Rolf has had easier times restraining the stampeding cows than handling this do-dad! What know-nothing fool makes such a thing?"

"Rolf! Sit!" Kevin shouted. He shoved Rolf into his seat. He then unwrapped the parts of his seat belt that his arm and leg had somehow become entangled in. He then fastened the seat belt and pulled it as tight as it would go. "There! Now stay there and don't mess with it until we get to Dentor!"

"Thank you Kevin." Rolf said as he settled into his seat. He seemed to be completely untroubled by the fact that the seat belt was tight enough to slightly push him into the space between the seat back and the seat itself. "For Rolf is unfamiliar with these new age seat ropes."

"Whatever." Kevin said as he belted himself in. With that settled, the stewardess proceeded to go through the pre-flight instructions. After that, it wasn't long before the plane took off. Nazz sighed in relief as everyone started to settling into the flight and paying less attention to them. The only one still acting up was Jonny, who looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack. It couldn't be helped, she thought. He'd just have to wait to they got to Dentor. Rolf, on the other hand, was staring out the window in fascination at how they were staying airborne. Nazz sighed in annoyance. She would probably have to explain the concept of powered flight and aerodynamics at some point before the flight was over. Kevin was sitting silently in his seat, brooding.

He had been in a bad mood ever since the whole trip had been set up. She had wanted to hash out some sort of travel plan with him, since he was the second most responsible person of their group. However, he had been, and still sort of was, completely unapproachable. But now, essentially stuck next to each other for the next few hours, she might be able to get something out of him.

"So, what's the plan?" Nazz asked. "Or is there even a plan?"

"It's going to be night by the time we get there." Kevin said in a fairly even tone. "Professor Hornbeam has a sister who runs his lab while he's away. She's going to put us up for the night. We're going to start our journey tomorrow, though I suppose we might get our starters tonight."

"Oh." Nazz said, slightly taken aback by the fact that Kevin had thought this out.

Kevin snorted. "I'm no whiz kid like Double Dork or a model student like you, but I'm not an idiot. I can plan things out just as well as anything else. Heck, I've been planning my own journey for a while now. Which makes all the worse that those dorks have got a head start on me!"

"Alright, Kevin. I know you really don't like the Eds but you really need to chill." Nazz scolded. "I mean, so what? Why does it matter that they started first? It's not a race so far as I can tell. Why can't you just relax and have a good time?"

"Because its the dorks." Kevin growled. "They ruin everything!"

"That's an exaggeration." Nazz countered. "I admit, they're as annoying as it's possible to be, but it's not like we can't do _anything_ without them messing it up. It only gets to you because you won't stop dwelling on it. Just relax and _just don't think about it!_ Just think about what _you're_ going to do and all of the fun _you_ are going to have!"

"It's not that simple." Kevin grunted.

"Yes it is." Nazz shot back. "Now then. I need you to give me a crash course on these pokémon things."

"Not much I can do right now." Kevin said.

"Well, there is one important thing you can help me with now." Nazz replied. "Professor Hornbeam said that there were 21 different pokémon that we could chose from as our first right?"

"18," Kevin corrected. "The dorks already took three of them."

"Alright." Nazz said quickly, wanting to keep Kevin off the subject of the Eds. "I don't know anything about pokémon, let alone any specific pokémon. So I'm going to need you to tell me everything you know about pokémon. Preferably, the pokémon that we will be choosing from when we get to Dentor."

"I know a bit about them." Kevin said hesitantly. "But I'm not an expert. That's not really my thing."

"Whatever." Nazz said. "Just tell me what you know!" Nazz then proceeded to bombarded Kevin with every question she could think of about pokémon. Kevin did his best to answer them. It was actually very informative, despite Kevin's claim of not being an expert. Rolf, who eventually got bored of marveling at the flight of metal wings, also started asking questions of his own. Jonny, still on the verge of a mental breakdown from his Plank separation, contributed nothing to the conversation. As Nazz had hoped, the conversation took up all of Kevin's attention. It even seemed to take Kevin's mind off the Eds, and Nazz did her absolute best to keep it that way. The subject of the Eds was not brought up for the rest of the flight.

It did, however, have one unfortunate side effect. No one had noticed that Sarah and Jimmy were nowhere to be seen.

* * *

 **Route 2, Outskirts of Heatherburg**

Nightfall was approaching. It wasn't there yet as the sun was still up. However, it had reached the treeline and the shadows were steadily lengthening. Just as the musician had said, the Eds had come across a river before actually reaching Heatherburg. Double D had consulted his guide and found that it was called the Silver River, after a long dead adventurer named Thomas Silver. The guide had also mentioned that while the river wasn't particularly deep, it did have steep and rocky banks. The guide advised the reader not to try and wade it. Again, just as the musician said, there was a large stone bridge that spanned the river. It was an arch bridge, with a small arch at each bank and one large arch in the middle. The bridge looked old and woren, but at the same time it looked as if it had been well maintained. There was a signpost placed before the bridge. The sign read 'Silver River Bridge' and 'Heatherburg, ½ mile.'

"There's the bridge." Double D said. He stopped and observed his surroundings. "I suggest we take extreme precaution when crossing this stone structure. Those Basculin might still be about."

"Get a grip Double D." Eddy said, not even pausing for a second. "That guy was a wimp. We're not going to be stopped by some stupid fish!" Eddy confidently strode onto the bridge. He got about to the halfway point of the bridge when it happened. Three fish erupted from the river, shooting up into the air in front of Eddy. The three fish opened their toothy mouths and each shot a stream of water at Eddy. The three streams hit Eddy and blasted him off his feet. He flew backwards off the bridge and landed in a soaking heap in front of Ed and Double D.

"I believe those were the Basculin." Double D said dryly. Double D, in a surprising act of dexterity and agility, had whipped out his pokédex and had scanned one of the fishes before they fell back in the river.

"Basculin, the Hostile Pokémon." It said. "Red-and-blue striped Basculin are very violent and always fighting. They are also remarkably tasty."

"That's good!" Eddy shouted as he leapt to his feet. "Because we're going to have a good old fish fry when I get through with them!" He grabbed for Charmeleon's Poké Ball.

"Wait! Eddy!" Double D shouted. "Your Charmeleon would be at a disadvantage against these water type Basculin!"

"Crap. You're right." Eddy said. "Alright then. Shinx, you're up!"

(Time to show my stuff!) Shinx growled in anticipation. He looked around and saw nothing to fight. He looked up at Eddy in confusion. (Wait, what am I supposed to be fighting?)

"Shinx, I need you to run out on the bridge and use Spark on anything that jumps up out of the water." Eddy commanded.

(Right!) Shinx charged onto the bridge. He got about as far as Eddy did before three more Basculin jumped out of the water. Shinx jumped onto the bridge railing, then, fur crackling with electrical energy, he flung himself at one of the Basculin. He hit the first Basculin dead on, discharging electrical energy into the Basculin. It then pushed off the stunned Basculin and slammed into the second Basculin. It repeated this procedural and managed to hit the third Basculin. The three stunned and slightly crispy Basculin fell back into the water. (Alright!) Shinx roared in triumph as he landed back on the bridge. (Take that you pretentious Magikarp!) At that precise moment, five Basculin jumped out of the water. (Oh crap….) The five Basculin then proceeded to hit Shinx with a Water Gun attack all at once. Shinx was blasted off the bridge and into Eddy. The force of the impact and the Water Guns, which were still going, then blasted both Eddy and Shinx into a nearby tree. With chattering noises that sounded suspiciously like laughter, the Basculin fell back into the river.

"Oh dear!" Double D moaned as he ran over to the prone Eddy. "Eddy! Are you alright!?"

"No," Eddy groaned as he tried extracted himself from the tree that he had become partially embedded in. "I'm not."

"We need to rethink our strategy Eddy." Double D said as he pulled on Eddy. "They appear to have us outnumbered by a significant degree."

"Yeah, I see that." Eddy growled, finally getting free of the tree. "Let's just attack them all at once when they jump out of the water. That ought'a knock them down a peg or two!"

"That's too risky Eddy, on two crucial points." Double D replied. "First, I'd like to remind you that we are not suitably equipped for such a task. Amongst the three of us, we have seven pokémon. Of those seven, one is weak to water types while another is practically ineffective against them. Then, of the remaining five, they're exhausted from a day's worth of battles. I don't think they'll be up for such an endeavor. Second point; we do not know just how many of these Basculin we are dealing with. We could be dealing with anything from ten to one-hundred!"

"I don't think there are a hundred of them in there." Eddy groaned as he tried to massage his aching back. "I don't think that river is big enough to hold one-hundred of those stupid things."

"The point is we don't know." Double D continued. "I think it might be best if we found another crossing to use."

"No way!" Eddy shouted. "You heard what that guy said! I **do not** want to go out of my way and I _really_ **do not** want to spend another night camping!"

"We might not have a choice Eddy." Double D countered.

"Well then think of something!" Eddy shouted back. "You're the smart guy!"

"Hey, man. What's with all the racket?" Both Eddy and Double D jumped as a rather disheveled looking man stepped out from behind the tree that Eddy had been blasted into. He was tall and unusually thin, almost as if he hadn't been eating properly recently. He had a short, scraggly beard and equally scraggly, long brown hair that ran out from under the black beanie he was wearing. He wore a ragged denim jacket, an equally worn green undershirt, and an only slightly better looking pair of light gray pants. The man stretched, let out a massive yawn, and observed his surroundings. "What's going on around here?"

"Cool!" Ed cried out, running up to the man. "An actual hobo!"

"That's depressingly accurate." The man sighed. He stepped back as Ed moved to get a closer look. "Um….would you mind backing up? You're invading my personal space man."

"Please accept my humble apologies for my friend's behavior." Double D said as he grabbed Ed by the collar and pulled him back. "He doesn't mean any harm. He's just over excitable, that's all."

"If you say so." The man replied. He then noticed Eddy's imprint in the tree and the fact that Eddy was soaking wet. "Oh right." The man said, snapping his fingers. "The Basculin. Right, I forgot about that."

"What do'ya mean 'forgot'?!" Eddy shouted. "Where you supposed to be dealing with them or something?"

"Yes, or I supposed to anyway." The man admitted. "You see, I work for the Pokémon League and I happened to be in Heatherburg when the Basculin showed up again. They asked me to deal with the problem."

"Why you?" Eddy asked. "You look like a homeless old coot."

"Old coot?" The man scoffed. "I may be homeless but I'm not an old coot! And besides, why wouldn't they ask me? I'm Shiloh Baker!" He said this as if he expected the Eds to be familiar with the name.

"We have no idea who you are!" Eddy snapped back.

"Oh." Shiloh said, his shoulders slumping in disappointment. "Anyway, I was supposed to help with the Basculin but I fell asleep behind this tree here."

"Wait. If you were in Heatherburg, how did you get across the bridge?" Double D asked. "Why didn't you deal with the Basculin then?"

"They weren't here when I got here." Shiloh admitted. "So I decided to wait for them to turn up again, and I fell asleep."

"Well, you're awake now!" Eddy growled. "So do your job and get ride of those Basculin!"

"That leads to another problem." Shiloh admitted. "You see, while I have a full team, it seems that forgot most of it. All I've got is this guy." He pulled a Poké Ball from a jacket pocket and sent out the pokémon. The pokémon that appeared was about slightly taller than waist high, compared to Shiloh, and bipedal. It had two long arms that ended in hands that were tipped with two large claws. Its two legs were rather stubby with feet that were also tipped with two large claws. The pokémon was covered in shaggy white fur; with brown around its eyes, a brown jaw, two brown stripes on its back, and a large red tuft on its forehead. The pokémon jittered about, hoping from foot to foot and swinging its arms about.

(Argh!) It growled menacingly. (I need to do something! I need to do something! Please, let me do something!)

"Hey! Watch it!" Eddy shouted, jumping back to avoid the pokémon's swinging arms. "Get that thing under control!"

"Sorry." Shiloh replied sheepishly. "Vigoroths are not happy we they sit idol for too long. They get very cranky."

"Vigoroth, the Wild Monkey Pokémon." Double D had pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the pokémon. "Vigoroth is always twitching and agitated to go on a wild rampage. It simply can't tolerate sitting for even a minute. This Pokémon's stress level rises if it can't be moving constantly."

"Sounds like 'cranky' is an understatement." Double D muttered.

"Whatever." Eddy cut in. "Can you be useful in any way?"

Shiloh shrugged. "Sort of. Vigoroth knows Thunder Punch. But we still have the numbers problem. I heard that part of your conversation. From what I've seen, there's about twenty to thirty of the little trouble makers. Six pokémon is definitely not enough to take on that many, or are you rocking some seriously powerful pokémon?"

"No." Double D answered. "We only started pokémon training a few days ago."

"Then we're stuck then." Shiloh sighed. "I'm going to have to huff it to Westerway City and get my other pokémon transferred to me. You're gonna just have to find somewhere else to cross."

"No way!" Eddy roared. "We're going to get rid of those Basculin and cross that bridge even if it kills you!"

"Kills me?!" Shiloh retorted. "I think you're getting _way_ to upset about this. It's really not that big of a deal. Just go east along the river a mile or two and you'll find a bend where the river turns south. The river narrows and shallows out there so crossing the river should be fairly easy. It'll take a few hours but it'll be better than fighting your those toothy pests." As if to punctuate this statement, the river surface erupted into a series of furious splashing. "Especially now, if they're fighting amongst themselves."

"No! We're not moving from this spot until we find away to get over that bridge!" Eddy snarled, his temper boiling over.

"Be reasonable Eddy." Double D said, trying to placate Eddy. "We _can not_ deal with these Basculin. We _are_ going to have to cross the river somewhere else. We _are_ going to have to spend another night camping and you throwing fit over it is not going to help matters."

"Oh yeah!" Eddy shouted, almost foaming at the mouth. "Well I ought'a…..!"

"WAIT!" Ed shouted over Eddy. "My brain is starting to start!"

"Ed!" Eddy roared. "What are you….!?"

"Shoosh, shush." Ed said. He grabbed Eddy with one arm and slapped his free hand over Eddy's mouth. Eddy struggled against vainly Ed's vice like grip, only succeeding in getting incoherent noises passed Ed's mouth. Ed, meanwhile, stared off into space with a blanker than usual look on his face.

"Is he usually like this?" Shiloh asked after a minute of silence.

"Yes, unfortunately." Double D moaned in exasperation.

"IDEA!" Ed shouted in glee. He unceremoniously dropped Eddy and walked over to the bridge. He then pulled out Bulbasaur's Poké Ball and sent him out.

(What's up?) Bulbasaur asked as he finished materializing.

Ed picked him up and placed him on the top of his head. "When I give the signal, you use your Leafs of Razoring and don't stop."

(Alright. What's the single?) Ed then proceeded to walk out onto the bridge. (Um….what's the single?) Ed barely got a few feet onto the bridge before the Basculin launched out of the water for the attack.

"ED! LOOK OUT!" Double D cried out in alarm.

"Let the fish have him!" Eddy snarled.

"Zip-a-dee-doo-dah!" Ed shouted as he lifted one foot, tensed up, and started to spin on the spot. To say that Eddy, Double D, Shiloh, and Bulbasaur were confused by this action would be an understatement. Even the Basculin were confused by this; so much so that they fell back into the water without attacking. They soon recovered from their shock, however, and jumped out of the water in a second attack.

(What's going on!?) Bulbasaur shrieked as he clung to Ed's head for clear life.

"Now Bulbasaur! Now!" Ed shouted as he spun. Deciding not to ask questions, Bulbasaur started shooting of his razor leafs. Soon the air was filled with flying, razor sharp leafs. The leafs hit the Basculin, sending them spiraling back into the river. No sooner had they disappeared into the water than another batch of Basculin launched out of the water on the attack. However, as Ed was still spinning and Bulbasaur was stilling shooting off Razor Leaf, they ended up hurling themselves into a stormified version of a super effective attack. As a result, the Basculin were forced back into the water. Not getting the message, another batch of Baculin rose up out of the water to attack Ed, only to meet the same fate. Showing more stubbornness than tactical sense, the Basculin continued to attack Ed only to be blasted back into the river by the Razor Leaf storm.

"Well," Shiloh commented after a few moments of stupefied wonder. "I can honestly say I've never seen anything like that before in my life."

"But it's working." Eddy grudgingly admitted. "Even Ed can have a good idea every once and a while."

"Be that as it may, neither he or Bulbasaur can keep this up forever." Double D put in. "They are going to tire themselves out sooner or later and I don't think the Basculin are going to give up before then."

"Yeah, probably." Shiloh said. "But I think we can end this here and now. Vigoroth, go and Thunder Punch the river a few times."

(Yes! Finally!) The Vigoroth ran over to the side of the river and, with a surprising amount of grace and deftness, climbed down the rocky riverbank. It raised its fist, crackling with electrical energy, and punched it into the river. The entire river came alive with furious splashing as the Basculin were shocked. Vigoroth used Thunder Punch on the river again, causing the Basculin to jump out of the river in an attempt to escape. Unfortunately, they ended up jumping right into the Razor Leaf storm with the result that they were knocked back into the electrified water. Vigoroth used Thunder Punch on the river a third time and, instead of jumping out of the river, the Basculin decided to flee. The school of Basculin broke into two groups; one fleeing upriver while the other fled downriver. Vigoroth used Thunder Punch on the river a fourth time, speeding up the departure of the fleeing Basculin. Vigoroth waited for a few moments then Thunder Punched the river a fifth time, but this time there was no reaction other than a slight rippling of the river's surface.

(No fun!) Vigoroth growled as it climbed back up the river back. (I want more! More! Give me an actual fight!)

"Okay," Shiloh said as he returned his Vigoroth. "Lets get you back in your ball before you cause some actual trouble."

"You can stop spinning now Lumox!" Eddy shouted to the still spinning Ed. "Those Basculin are gone!" Either Ed didn't hear him or ignored Eddy because he kept on spinning.

"I think we are going to have to make him stop." Double D sighed tiredly.

"Oh, I'll make him stop!" Eddy growled as he rolled up his sleeve.

"Hold on." Shiloh interrupted as something on Ed began to shine brightly. "I think things are going to sort themselves in a moment." The thing on Ed shone for a moment, then faded away. Almost immediately after, Ed fell over.

"Ouch." Ed said absently. His comment was muffled as a pokémon that was a fair bit bigger than Bulbasaur was now sitting on Ed's face. The pokémon had the same body build as Bulbasaur in that it was quadrupedal and had a plant growing out of its back. However, this pokémon was larger than Bulbasaur. Its skin was a blue-green color, though it leaned more towards blue than green. There were also several patches of skin that were colored a dark shade of green. It had a big head with a short, rounded snout, a wide mouth with two large, sharp teeth, a pair of narrow, red eyes, and two pointed ears. However, the most significant change was the plant that grew out of its back. Bulbasaur had simply had a large, dark green bulb. This pokémon had a smaller pink bulb that looked as if it was in the process of blooming. The bulb was connected to a small, brown trunk which was surrounded by four leafy fronds.

(I think I'm gonna hurl.) The pokémon moaned.

"Ed!" Double D exclaimed excitedly. "Your Bulbasaur evolved!"

"Oh goody, goody!" Ed cried happily as he pulled his head out from under the pokémon. "My mutant plant buddy mutated into mutant rose buddy!"

"Mutant what?" Shiloh asked in confusion. "What's he talking about?"

"I'd like to know that myself." Eddy replied. "I swear, he has buttered toast for a brain."

"Right…."Shiloh muttered. "I'm going to assume that's some kind of in-joke and leave it at that. Anyway, with the Basculin gone the bridge should be safe to cross." To demonstrate, he walked across the bridge and was not troubled in the slightest. "Well boys, it's been fun!" He shouted at the Eds from the other side of the river. "But there was a reward for getting rid of the Basculin! Now that the Basculin are gone I can claim that reward, and I don't feel like sharing! So, so long!"With that, Shiloh took off up the route towards Heatherburg and leaving a small dust cloud in his wake.

"Reward! That rat!" Eddy snarled in frustration. "He's conned us! Conned me!"

"I don't think he actually tricked us." Double D sighed. "It's not like we were offered anything to get rid of the Basculin in any event. Quite frankly, I' more surprised that you haven't chased after him."

"I would, but I'm too tired." Eddy moaned, shoulders slumping in defeat. "Right now, all I want is to crash on a nice soft bed and get a good nights sleep. So scan Ed's new pokémon so we can get moving."

"Allow me!" Ed cried as he whipped out his Pokédex, and various bits of unidentifiable filth, and scanned the pokémon.

"Ivysaur, the Seed Pokémon." It said. "There is a bulb on this pokémon's back. To support its weight, Ivysaur's legs and trunk grow thick and strong. If it starts spending more time laying in the sun, its a sign that the bud would bloom into a large flower soon."

"Mutant flower buddy!" Ed shouted happily.

(Eventually.) Ivysaur said as his stomach settled. (But, serious though, can we stop with this 'mutant' business? Please?)

"You can bond later!" Eddy snapped. He grabbed Ed by the shirt collar and began to physically drag him away.

"Tell me a story Eddy." Ed said absently as he returned Ivysaur to his Poké Ball.

"NO!"

"So you're too tired to chase after Mr. Baker but you aren't tired enough to drag Ed." Double D muttered to himself. "I would very much appreciate consistency. Wait, why am I complaining? It's always a good thing when Eddy isn't causing trouble. I _should_ appreciate any time Eddy is actually behaving in a manner at least in resemblance of a decent human being." He then realized what he was doing. "And why am I talking to myself?"

"Quite grumbling and shake-a-leg Sockhead!" Eddy shouted over his shoulder. "I'm not waiting for ya!"

"Coming Eddy!" Double D shouted back as he ran to catch up with Eddy and Ed.

* * *

 **Heatherburg, Pokémon Center**

Night had completely fallen by the time the Eds trooped wearily into the Heatherburg Pokémon Center. The guide hadn't been lying when it had said that Heatherburg was more historic site than actual town. They had walked past a few museums and several closed off areas of the town that looked to be in various states of restoration. At one point, the town had been encircled by a large wall. However, most of the wall had either fallen or been torn down, leaving only the stone base in several areas. The inhabited part of Heatherburg actually sat outside of the perimeter of the wall, but close enough to still be consisted part of the town. The modern part wasn't particularly big; consisting of the Pokémon Center, a Poké Mart, a few businesses and warehouses, and several smaller buildings that appeared to be private houses. The Pokémon Center was a large, rectangular, four story building with a large red P attached to the building's face. The Eds stepped into what appeared to be a small waiting room. To the right of the door, there was another doorway which appeared to be a large recreation room. On the other side of the waiting room was a short hallway that ended in a flight of stairs. To the left of the door, there was desk at which stood a very annoyed looking Nurse Joy.

"Did you come here from Westerway?" She asked as the Ed's approached to the desk.

"Yes..." Double D started to reply.

"Did you cross the bridge?" The Nurse Joy cut him off.

"Yes and…."

"Where the Basculin there?"

"Yes." Double D decided that trying to get a word in edgewise was a pointless effort for the moment.

"Was Shiloh Baker there?"

"Yes."

"Did he actually get rid of the Basculin?"

"Sort of." Double D managed to get it. "He did actually do something but my friend Ed here did half the work I'd say."

"I thought so." Nurse Joy huffed angrily. "I knew he couldn't have done it alone, especially since he left most of his pokémon. But, I had to give the reward promised because I couldn't prove he was actually lying."

"But then how did you know that the Basculin were gone?" Double D asked.

"We maintain a few sensory devices on the bridge and in the river bed." Nurse Joy explained. "Those Basculin have been a problem for years now and we installed those sensors to monitor when they were gathering around the bridge. The sensors showed that about an hour or so ago something attacked the Basculin with electric and grass attacks and that the Basculin fled. They couldn't give me anymore details than that. I knew he'd couldn't have done that himself since none of his pokémon know grass type attacks but I couldn't accuse him of lying without more definitive proof."

"That was the work of my mutant flower buddy!" Ed declared happily.

"He means his Ivysaur." Double D added quickly.

The Nurse Joy shrugged. "In this job you hear a whole host of strange nicknames. Anyway, thank you for confirming my suspicions. I be filing a complaint against him with the Pokémon League over this. He's crossed the line this time. I swear, I'll never know how such an irresponsible and disreputable person as Shiloh Baker ever was allowed to became a member of the…."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Eddy cut her off. "Look, we're all tired and need our pokémon healed. I _could not care less_ about your problems with a sleazy hobo!"

"Eddy!" Double D scolded. "Manners!"

"No, no." The Nurse Joy sighed. "I shouldn't rant like that." She pulled three trays out from her desk and placed them in front of the Eds. "If you'll leave your Poké Balls on those trays we'll have them healed for you by tomorrow morning." While the Eds placed their Poké Balls on the trays, Nurse Joy consulted a chart then handed the trio a set of keys. "The room is on the fourth floor, Room 403. You'll have a spare bed but I don't see how it would be a problem."

"Thank you." Double D said as he took the keys. With that, the Eds made their way up to their room. The room was divided into two sections. The first and largest section was made up as a living room. There was a table, four table chairs, a couch was pushed up against the back wall, and a large dresser was pushed up against the wall to the left of the door. The other section of the room was the sleeping room. It had two bunk beds, in the same style as the ones they had slept in in New Greenvale, and was significantly cramped. There was barely enough room to stand between the two beds or open a door, which was probably why the room didn't have a door.

Eddy immediately made for one of the beds. "I'm going to bed. If _either of you two_ wake me up I'll send you back to Peach Creek on the tip of my shoe!"

"Right behind ya Eddy!" Ed said, following Eddy into the sleeping room. Almost immediately, the two became jammed together because of the lack of space and started to argue. Eddy did at least, while Ed reacted to the whole thing with his usual obliviousness. Double D, on the other hand, was hungry and went back down to grab a bite to eat. After asking the still irate Nurse Joy, he stepped into the recreation room where he had been told he'd find food. The rec room was a large, open room. There were tables scattered across the room in no discernible pattern. Several widescreen TVs mounted along one wall with some couches and chairs arranged in front of them. At the far end of the room were several table games, such as air hockey, table tennis, and table soccer. Situated along the wall by the door, there was a buffet table piled with various cold foods such as fruits, vegetables, crackers, and cold meats. The only hot food available were three types of soup which were being kept hot in three large thermoses.

Double D grabbed a tray and crafted a small meal. He created three small sandwiches using the cold meat, cheese, and crackers, took a few pieces of carrot and celery, and a half-a-cup of something that he thought was rather optimistically identified as clam chowder. He sat down at a table and began to eat. As he ate, he observed those around him for, while far from full capacity, the room was not unoccupied. There was a group of five people watching what appeared to be a news show of some sort on one of the TVs. Seated not far away was a teenage boy picking absently at a plate full of crackers and cheese. Two young women were sitting at another table having a hushed debate about something. However, there was one person who kept catching Double D's eye. It was a man, perhaps in his mid twenties, sitting as about as far away from everyone else as possible. The man was about average height, somewhere around six feet if he had to guess. He was wearing a black leather jacket and a pair of blue jean pants. He looked pale and haggard, as if he had been sick recently or had been going for long periods of time without sleep. He had an unruly mop of sandy-blonde hair and piercing blue eyes behind a pair of glasses.

He was talking into a cellphone, and judging by the scowl on his face, he was not liking what he was hearing. He growled into the cellphone before turning it off and shoving it into a jacket pocket. He leaned back into his chair and glowered into his lap. Double D went back to eating. He finished off his small meal and was about to leave when a large, pink pokémon walked in the room. It was carrying one of the trays from earlier that had four Poké Balls on it. Double D pulled out his Pokédex to scan it. He had seen the pokémon at other Pokémon Centers they'd been to but before now he'd never had a chance to scan it.

"Chansey, the Egg Pokémon." It said. "It is said to deliver happiness. Being compassionate, it shares its eggs with injured people."

The Chansey walked over to the man and presented him with the tray. The man took the proffered Poké Balls and placed some money on the tray. Double winced at that. As he had read the guide, he had learned that while the services of the Pokémon Centers were free, it was considered polite to tip. He'd have to remember to do that before they left. The man shoved his Poké Balls into his jacket pockets and stalked out of the room. Double D sighed in relief as he watched the man leave. He looked like the kind of person who attracted trouble and trouble was something Double D really wanted to avoid. Considering who he was traveling with, however, he had to admit it was a bit of a fool's hope. After cleaning up a bit, Double D returned to their room.

Eddy and Ed were already asleep, judging by the loud snoring coming from the sleeping room. However, before Double D turned in he decided he had to check something first. He took at the guide, sat down at the table, and started to flip through it. That name, Shiloh Baker, it was ringing a bell in the very back of his mind. He hadn't recognized the name when Mr. Baker had introduced himself, but now that he thought about it, he was certain he'd come across it before. He'd never heard the name but he was absolutely certain he had read it before. However, he couldn't remember where he had read it or in what context. He thought it might have been in the guide, but as he flipped through it, he was starting to realize it must have been during his quick research session before coming to Dentor. He got about half way through the guide before admitting defeat and closing it with a tired sigh. Wearily, he stood up from the desk, walked into the sleeping room, and climbed into bed. Eddy and Ed had taken the other bed; Ed on top and Eddy on the bottom. Within less than a minute of his head hitting the pillow, Double D was out like a light and snoring with the best of them.

* * *

 **Cansport Town Airport**

"Land! Earth! Soil! Rolf never thought Rolf would miss it so!"

That, along with throwing himself on the ground and trying to hug it, was Rolf's first reaction upon leaving the airport. In all, the flight had been spectacularly unpleasant. The landing had been worse, downright life shortingly frightening was the best way to put it. The plane had come roaring it, they weren't sure but it felt like it had bounced a few times once it hit the ground, and came to a screeching halt uncomfortably close to the end of the runway. The Cul-de-Sac kids, along with every other passenger, couldn't get out of the plane fast enough once the doors had been opened. After going through customs and registration, the group found themselves standing on the side of the road that ran past the airport.

"Well, what do we do now?" Nazz asked.

"We're supposed to meet Professor Hornbeam's sister, Maria Hornbeam." Kevin responded, looking around for the person in question. "She must be running late."

"How long do you think we'll have to wait?" Nazz asked.

Kevin shrugged. "I have no idea." As it turned out, they didn't have to wait long. Within five minutes, a brown van came driving up the road and stopped by the group. The passenger side door opened and a woman stepped out. Judging by her stereotypical scientist outfit and her resemblance to Professor Anthony Hornbeam, Kevin silently guessed that this woman was Maria Hornbeam. The very next instant, the woman confirmed that guess.

"Good evening children!" She said with the same energy and enthusiasm that her brother showed. "I am Maria Hornbeam, Pokémon Professor at you're service. I'm sorry I'm late. We had to change a tire on our van and it took longer than we expected." She gestured to a man sitting in the driver's seat, an assistant of some sort. "Anyway, I'm glad you all made it here safe and sound. The airline services we can here can be a bit spotty."

"That's putting it mildly." Nazz muttered quietly.

Jonny, on the other hand, was more forthright with his opinion. "You call that service!?"

"I know! I know!" Maria said, hands up in a placating gesture. "The service is terrible but it's the best we can get right now. We are working to get a better airline to service our needs but we simply don't have the funds right now. In another year or two we'll be able to charter flights with airlines that aren't accidents waiting to happen!"

"Rolf never wants to fly again!" Rolf declared, still clutching the ground. "Great Nanna was right. It's foolish for man to fly. If we were meant to fly we'd have feathers and wings like the birds!"

"Well, that's one way of putting it." Maria conceded. "Anyway, I suggest you put off starting your journey until tomorrow given how late in the day it is." Their flight had gotten a late start in the day and by the time they had touched down in Cansport it was late into the evening, just as Kevin had said.

"Alright." Nazz said. "And you were offering to put us up for the night?"

"Yup. That's the plan." Maria replied happily.

"Are you sure?" Nazz asked. "I'd really hate it if we were imposing on you like that."

"It's no trouble, really!" Maria said as she opened the van door. "There's enough room at the lab to allow for a few extra people to stay the night. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time we've put up trainers, perspective or other wise. It also has the added benefit of allowing you all to get your starter pokémon now instead of later." She turned back to the group, beaming brightly. "Now then, lets get…." She stopped mid-sentence and her smile turned to a confused frown. "Wait, weren't there supposed to be six of you?"

"Yeah, we're all here." Kevin snorted. "There's me, Nazz, Rolf, Jonny, Sar…." He had pointed to each person as he listed them off, but he stopped as he realized that they were short two people. "Uh, where are Sarah and Jimmy?"

"I...don't know." Nazz said, looking around for the pair. "I thought they were right behind us."

"Rolf does not know where She-who-gives-migraines and Pale Jimmy have wondered off too." Rolf put in. "Rolf does not even remember them being on the flying contraption."

"Yeah, I don't either." Jonny commented. He turned to Plank. "What's that buddy?" There came that awkward silence as Jonny pretended to converse with Plank.

"It's not worth trying to understand." Kevin said in response to Maria's questioning look. "It'll just give you a headache."

"Plank says that they were never on the plane to begin with!" Jonny said after a moment.

"What do'ya mean 'not on the plane'!" Kevin asked.

"Just as I said, not on the plane!" Jonny answered.

"Why didn't you say something!?" Kevin shouted back.

"Because it was Plank who noticed, not me!" Jonny huffed. "And you wouldn't let me take him with me! You made me leave him with the luggage so of course he couldn't tell me!"

"Calm down, you two!" Nazz interrupted, trying to stop any oncoming fight. "Look, I have Sarah's number so I can just call her and get things settled out." She pulled out her cellphone and dialed Sarah's number and brought it up to her ear. "Sarah?" She immediately jerked the phone away from her ear as, true to form, started shouting. The phone practically shook with the force of Sarah's raging. "Sarah, Sarah, Sarah!" Nazz shouted into the phone. "Just calm down and tell me what happened?" Nazz listened as Sarah explained what had happened. Nazz sighed in frustration as Sarah finished her story. "Look, let me talk it over with everyone else and we'll get something worked out." She hung up and turned to the group."

"So they missed our fight." Kevin groaned. "Those idiots."

"No, they missed _our_ flight but not _a_ flight." Nazz responded.

"What?"

"They got on the wrong plane." Nazz said flatly. It took all of Kevin's self restraint to not swear out loud. Nazz turned to Professor Maria, who trying very hard not to giggle. "They've ended up in some place called Littleroot Town."

"Ah," Maria chuckled as she regained control of herself. "That's in Hoenn. There's also a Pokémon Professor stationed there by the name Professor Birch. Look, lets go to my lab and I'll give Birch a call. He'll be able to help your friends." For a lack of any better ideas, they agreed to Professor Maria's suggestion and piled into the van. One short drive later and the group found itself at the Cansport Pokémon Laboratory. Professor Maria shepherded the group into the lab while her assistant, who she called Ben, parked the van. They entered the same room that the Eds had visited a few days before, except for the fact that it's contents had been rearranged since the Eds had stopped by. It had been thoroughly cleaned, and the various bits of loose paper and machinery had been stored away. Three long tables had been set up in the middle of the room. The tabletop of each table had seven small indents, and on each table six of the seven indents held a Poké Ball. There was a picture by each Poké Ball showing what pokémon each Poké Ball contained. The tabletops were each painted a different color; one red, one green, and one blue.

"If you'll just wait here for a bit I'll get in contact with Professor Birch." Maria said as she stepped into a side room. "Feel free to look around while you wait. Just don't break anything."

"In other words," Kevin growled as he turned to Rolf and Jonny. "Don't touch anything!"

"Rolf is insulted!" Rolf huffed. "Rolf has the upmost respect for the doohickeys of others! Rolf is no manure slinging vandal!"

Jonny had not been paying attention and had moved over to a tarp covered thing that was standing against the wall. "What do you think is here buddy?" He asked Plank as he pulled at the tarp.

"What did I just say!?" Kevin snarled. He ran over to Jonny, grabbed him by the collar, and roughly pulled him away from the covered machine. "Didn't your parents ever teach you to not mess with things that aren't yours?"

"Nope." Jonny replied happily.

Kevin sighed. "You know, I sometimes wonder why I even put up with you." He then pulled him to a chair and sat him down. "Just wait there until she comes back. That way you can't cause any damage!"

"Kevin, you need to calm down." Nazz cut in. She placed what she meant to be a soothing hand on Kevin's shoulder. "You're being a jerk again. I know you're upset about the Eds but you don't need take it out on the rest of us."

Kevin let off a frustrated sigh. "Things have already gotten off to a bad start. First the Eds get a head start on us and now this. Sorry, but I don't feel like adding 'making a Pokémon Professor angry' to that list. That will stop our journey cold before its even begun!"

"I don't think Professor Maria would do that." Nazz countered. "She seems too nice for that."

"Perhaps, but even nice people will get angry if you mess with their stuff." Kevin responded. "Either way, I don't want to risk it. Especially not at the starting gate!"

"How many times do I have to tell you to chill out before you actually do it?" Nazz scolded. "I thought this was supposed to be about having fun."

"I'll be able to 'chill out' when we actually get on the road." Kevin growled. In response, Nazz gave him the 'I'm very disappointed in you' look that she had developed over the many years she had dealt with his hothead obstinacy. They both knew that that look alone would get Kevin to unbend, if only slightly, whenever Nazz thought he was being too stubborn. He still tried though, but it lasted for only a few moments. "Look, I've been looking forward to this for a long time. It wouldn't be too far off to say that taking on my own pokémon journey has been a closely held dream of mine. I know I'm being unrealistic but I want things to be as perfect as possible for my debut run as a Pokémon Trainer. And, I gotta admit, things are not turning out as I'd hoped."

"And do you blame us for that?" Nazz asked.

"No." Kevin replied quickly. "Not you guys. I'd enjoy a journey with you and Rolf. Heck, I wouldn't mind even Jonny, Sarah, and Jimmy tagging along."

"The Eds then." Nazz sighed tiredly.

"Yes!" Kevin growled through clenched teeth. "I didn't want them to be anywhere near this! This was my thing! Free of the Eds and their scams! I just wanted this one thing! Is that so much to ask?"

"Kevin." Nazz said calmly, but firmly. She stood in front of Kevin, placing both her hands on his shoulders, and looked him straight in the eyes. "I'm going to say this one more time, and I want you to get it through that thick skull of yours this time. Stop. Worrying. About. The. Eds. I understand that your upset about the Eds intruding into your dream and getting a head start on you. But you need to to stop twisting yourself into knots over it because there's no point. Think about it! By the sound of it, the Eds were just as clueless about pokémon as we were. So I doubt that they've done what they've done with the purpose of getting to you. On top of that, there is the inescapable fact that _they are here and they are ahead of us_. No amount of ranting, raging, or snarling about is going to change that. All that you are going to accomplish is to spoil the experience for yourself. In short, do not think about the Eds. Focus solely on _you_ , what _you_ are going to do, and how _you_ are going to have fun. Understand?"

Kevin gave a tired smile. "I'll try."

"That will do for now." Nazz sighed. "But I'll be keeping an eye on you and making sure you actually do it."

"Yes. Please do."

At that moment, Maria walked back into the room. "I've got every thing settled with Professor Birch." She declared happily. "He's going to take your friends under his wing and get them started on their own pokémon journey in Hoenn. They might as well taken on the Hoenn League since they're already there."

"Sounds reasonable." Nazz commented. "I just hope they don't get into too much trouble."

"Oh, they'll be fine." Maria reassured them. "Birch has a talent for helping along rookie trainers. But now that we've got that settled, it's time for the main event!" She swept her arm around, encompassing the three tables. "It's time for the selection of your Starter Pokémon! Oh, wait! There is something I need to give you all first." She walked over to a desk and pulled out four red colored, rectangular devices. She handed each of them one of the devices.

"What contraption is this?" Rolf asked, handling the thing like it was some kind of poisonous animal.

"Its a Pokédex." Kevin explained. "Its an electronic encyclopedia of pokémon information. You use it to identify any pokémon that you encounter and learn a bit about them. You can also use it to interact with your pokémon to some degree, such as knowing what moves that they know or a general idea of their current physical state."

"Correct!" Maria exclaimed. "I'd take that you're the one who was already acquainted with pokémon that Anthony mentioned?"

"Yes." Kevin confirmed. "Though this would be the first time I've gone on a journey or doing a league run."

"Okay then. Now that that's settled, it's time for all of you to take that first step in your journey." She gestured to the tables and the rows of Poké Balls. "It's time to pick your starters!"

"And we just get to take one to keep?" Jonny asked.

"Yes." Maria answered. "You can take any one of the eighteen that are here. Usually, we have twenty-one but the replacement batch for the three that those other boys took aren't ready to be taken yet."

"Oh really." Kevin said, trying to sound as casual and nonchalant as possible. While he did intend to take Nazz's advice about not thinking about the dorks, there was no way he would pass up any opportunity to gain an advantage over them. It would help him make his decision on which starter to pick if he knew what the dorks had picked. "What did they take?"

"The starters from Kanto." Maria replied. "The tall, smelly one took Bulbasaur, the one with the sock on his head took Squirtle, and the short one took Charmander."

"Hm…." Kevin grunted.

"I have a question." Nazz asked, even raising her hand as if this were a classroom. "How can we choose a starter when we don't know anything about the choices on offer?"

"That's part of the fun dearie!" Maria exclaimed. "You're going to have to go on your instinct. You'll be draining most of the fun out of the experience if get too clinical with your choices of pokémon. Just examine the options we have for you and chose the one really speaks to you. Or, if you're feeling adventurous, you can partake in this option here!" She walked over to the covered object Jonny had been poking at early and pulled over the tarp. The thing underneath was a machine that appeared to be a slot machine. "This is an experiment that my brother and I have been working for a while now and we're hoping to give it a test run during this season. It doesn't have a name yet but, as you can probably tell, it works the same as a slot machine. The main difference is that instead of gambling, you use this machine to randomly pick a starter for you!"

"Too cool!" Jonny cried excitedly. He stepped up to the machine. "We'll take a go at that!"

"Wonderful!" Maria replied. "However, I do have to warn you about the one rule of this machine. Once you pull that lever, you are entirely committed to the result. There are no do-overs and there is no backing out. You have to take what the machine comes up with."

"No problem." Jonny said as he pulled the lever. The machine's screen lit up and images began to scroll across the screen at a fast pace. After a few seconds, the scrolling images began to slow down. Then the images came to a stop, leaving one image highlighted in the center of the screen. It was the image of what appeared to be a small owl. It had a short, round body. It had two stubby wings, a pair of small feet, and a small beak. Its feathers were a light brown and it had a white underside and facial disc. It's facial disc was formed in the shape of two overlapping circles. In each circle was a large, black eye and its beak was situated in the spot where the circles overlapped. Its beak was white on the top while the bottom beak was an orange-brown color. Two leaves sprouted out of the center of its chest, giving the impression that it was wearing a bowtie. The word 'Rowlet' flashed on the screen above the image.

"Rowlet." Maria mused. "Interesting choice. It'll be the Poké Ball at the end of the table with the green top."

"Oh boy!" Jonny ran over to the described Poké Ball and took up off the table. As soon as he did that, his Pokédex started to beep. "Hey, what's it doing?"

"It's registering that you've just obtained a pokémon and has brought up the pokémon's page in the Pokédex." Maria explained. "Just open it up and it'll stop beeping."

"Rowlet, the Gras Quill Pokémon." It said once Jonny flipped it open. "This wary pokémon uses photosynthesis to store up energy during the day, while becoming active at night."

"Great, that's one down and three to go!" Maria declared. She turned to the other three. "Would anyone else like a go."

"Rolf shall choose on his own." Rolf said as he started to walk among the Poké Balls. "Dame Fortuna has never been kind to Rolf."

"Same here." Nazz put in as she started to examine the Poké Balls.

"Me too." Kevin said. He made a show of examining some of the fire starters. He already had a good idea of what pokémon he would choose but he didn't want to be too obvious about it. He was going to choose a starter that had the type advantage to Eddy's starter, which meant a water type. Of the three dorks, it was Eddy who was the one that he actually hated. Ed was essentially Jonny, but a grosser shade of annoying. Double D would be tolerable, if it wasn't for the fact that he was a pompous, straight laced hypocrite. But despite all that, it was only Eddy who he had a real, burning passion to pound into the ground. As such, he would be more than happy to take advantage of this chance to get on over on him. Of course, he knew that wouldn't really amount to much. Eddy was bound to get his hands on a pokémon to cover that weakness either by Double D's direction or mere chance. That being said, getting the type advantage made him feel slightly better about getting a late start.

"Rolf picks this one!" Rolf shouted, making Kevin jump. He taken one of the Poké Balls from the fire starter table and was holding it up. The picture by the empty slot showed a pokémon that resembled a small chimpanzee. It was bipedal, with two long arms and two short legs. Its fur was an orange color while its face, parts of its ears, its hands, its feet, and its underbelly were a yellow color. The inner parts of its ears were colored red and it had red patches of fur around its eyes. It had a swirly crest of hair on the top of its head and a swirly symbol on its chest. The picture also show a small, bright flame coming out of its rear.

"Chimchar, the Chimp Pokémon." Rolf's Pokédex said once he hand managed to get the thing open. "It is very agile. Before going to sleep, it extinguishes its flame on its tail to prevent fires."

"Ah Chimchar." Maria commented. "Another interesting choice. I would have put you down as a Tepig man myself."

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and take this one." Nazz said as she picked a Poké Ball from the grass starter table. The picture for this Poké Ball showed what appeared to be a snake on legs. It had a long, serpentine body with two stubby arms and two stubby legs. Its tail ended in a large, three pointed leaf-like structure. Its head was serpent like except for it had a significantly longer snout. Its body was a green color while its underside was a cream color. Along its back was a thin yellow stripe that ran from the back of its head to its tail. Two curved yellow structure protruded from its shoulders that curved backwards down its back. There were also a large yellow patch around each of the pokémon's big red eyes.

"Snivy, the Grass Snake Pokémon." Nazz's Pokédex said. "It is very intelligent and calm. Being exposed to lots of sunlight makes its movements swifter."

"And then there was one." Maria said to Kevin. "Are you ready to choose or do you need more time to think?"

"No, I've got it." Kevin walked over to the water starter table and picked up the second Poké Ball from the front. The picture by the Poké Ball showed a pokémon that resembled a bipedal crocodile. It's body was entirely blue save for a white v-shaped patch on its chest. Three rows of red spines ran down its back. One row of large spines ran along its spine while two rows of small spines ran along the sides of its back. There was also a single red spine on its short, stubby tail. It had two short arms that ended in five clawed hands and two short, stubby legs. It had a large head with an equally large jaw that was lined with incredibly sharp teeth. There was a ridge over each of its large, red eyes. Each of its eyes were surrounded by a black oval-shaped pattern.

"Totodile, the Big Jaw Pokémon." Kevin's Pokédex said. "Despite the smallness of it's body, Totodile's jaws are very powerful. While the pokémon may think it is just playfully nipping, its bite has enough power to cause significant injury."

"Up for a challenge I see." Maria commented. "You're going to need to be careful with that one."

Kevin shrugged. "That's fine with me."

"Alright! Now that that's settled, I think I would be a good idea to turn in for the night." Professor Maria advised. "You've got a big day tomorrow and you're really going to need to be well rested. After all, hiking around the region is going to take a lot out of you."

"Hiking?" Nazz asked. "Are we going to do all of the traveling on foot?"

"For the most part, yes." Maria answered. "After all, you can't catch or train pokémon if you're speeding past everything on planes, trains, and highways."

"I told you all that before." Kevin added. "That's why I said to pack hiking clothes."

"I know." Nazz pouted. "And I did. It's just that I didn't think it would _all_ be hiking."

"Anyway, you really should turn in for the night." Maria urged. "We've got a few cots that we can wheel out for you to sleep on. They aren't the most comfortable things to sleep on, but its the best we've got. Besides, the only other place that will take guests that is anywhere close is the Pokémon Center in New Greenvale."

"Not an option." Kevin said. He looked at the clock in his Pokédex. "Especially given that it's almost mid-night."

"Well, I guess that settles it then." Nazz concluded. Within the hour, everything had been settled. The boys and the assistant, Ben, had dug out the cots and set them up. The three for Kevin, Rolf, and Jonny had been set up in the main room, while the one for Nazz had been set up in a side room. After a brief search, mattresses, sheets, blankets, and pillows had been found for the cots. Once that had been accomplished, everyone settled down for the night. Maria retired to her own living space in the back of the lab while Ben left for his own home. Rolf and Jonny, having had a lot of camping experience, settled into the uncomfortable cots fairly quickly. Nazz, not having the benefit of such experiences, spent a few minutes twisting and turning before she found a comfortable position. Kevin simply laid on his cot completely ignoring the fact that he was uncomfortable.

Kevin remained awake for a little while. Rolf and Jonny fell asleep quickly, if the snoring was anything to go by. He couldn't tell with Nazz since she was in another room. He lay in his cot, staring out a nearby window. It was a clear night and he could see several stars shining in the inky black sky. _'I'm finally here.'_ He thought. _'It's really happening! I'm_ _a Pokémon Trainer now! Nazz is right. I'm going to focus on what I'm doing and not the dorks.'_ Suddenly, he had a concerning thought. What would happen if they ran into the dorks? It was certainly a possibility after all. He had checked the map and had found that there was some backtracking to get all of the gyms in the recommended order. The dorks would be doing the League Challenge like they were. He had absolute no doubt about that. After all, Eddy would never pass on an opportunity to make money and the League certainly fell into that category. _'But how far will they get?'_

 _'They'll go all the way.'_ Kevin mentally answered himself. _'They will beat all of the gyms and make it to the League Tournament.'_ He knew this with a steel hard certainty that he'd felt for few other things before. By hook or by crook, they'd get there. _'But we will as well. We are going to take on the gyms, win the badges, get to the Pokémon League, and ground those dorks into the dirt.'_

With that cheery thought, Kevin settled down to sleep. _'That would be fine way to end things.'_

* * *

Next time on _Pokemon, the_ _ED-Ventures:_ The Eds get rangled into an escort mission while Kevin tries to teach the others how to Pokemon.

* * *

Author's Note: I've decided to stop making the Party Status Updates separate chapters and have decided to add them at the end of the chapters. Also, I'm not sure if I've mentioned this or not, but in the continuity of the story battles are taking place off screen. This is so that the story does become completely bogged with every single battle or for grinding.

 **Eddy**

 **Name:** Charmeleon

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 17

 **Ability:** Blaze

 **Moves:** Dragon Rage, Growl, Ember, Smokescreen

 **Name:** Shinx

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 14

 **Ability:** Intimidate

 **Moves:** Spark, Leer, Charge, Baby-Doll Eyes

 **Double D**

 **Name:** Wartortle

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 16

 **Ability:** Torrent

 **Moves:** Bubble, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Withdraw

 **Name:** Pidgey

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 15

 **Ability:** Keen Eye

 **Moves:** Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust, Quick Attack

 **Ed**

 **Name:** Ivysaur

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 16

 **Ability:** Overgrow

 **Moves:** Take Down, Poison Powder, Vine Whip, Leech Seed

 **Name:** Stantler

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 15

 **Ability:** Intimidate

 **Moves:** Stomp, Leer, Astonish, Hypnosis

 **Name:** Drifloon

 **Gender:** female

 **Level:** 14

 **Ability:** Aftermath

 **Moves:** Constrict, Minimize, Astonish, Gust

 **Kevin**

 **Name:**?

 **Gender:**?

 **Level:**?

 **Ability:**?

 **Moves:**?

 **Name:** Totodile

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 5

 **Ability:** Torrent

 **Moves:** Scratch, Leer

 **Nazz**

 **Name:** Snivy

 **Gender:** female

 **Level:** 5

 **Ability:** Overgrow

 **Moves:** Tackle, Leer

 **Rolf**

 **Name:** Chimchar

 **Gender:** male

 **Level:** 5

 **Ability:** Blaze

 **Moves:** Scratch, Leer

 **Jonny**

 **Name:** Rowlet

 **Gender:** male

 **Level:** 5

 **Ability:** Overgrow

 **Moves:** Tackle, Growl, Leafage


	11. On the Roll Again

Oh, boy. I'm getting worse at this pace thing. Anyway, here we go.

* * *

 **Heatherburg, Pokémon Center**

"Oh man! I haven't slept so good since…since we left Peach Creek!" That was Eddy's declaration as the trio stepped into the Pokémon Center's lobby the next morning. "Give me a proper bed over a sleeping bag in a tent any day."

"I quite agree. The bed is certainly more comfortable." Double D added. He turned to Ed, who was scratching himself. "Ed, please stop scratching yourself. Its rude."

"Clean clothes make me itchy." Ed moaned as he continued to scratch at his now clean clothes. Double D had awoken before Ed or Eddy and had taken the opportunity to clean all of their clothes, besides the ones they had slept in. Eddy had been appreciative, or at least as appreciative as he could ever be. Ed, on the other hand, had shown his usual aversion to anything remotely clean. "Clean is bad for Ed."

"They were starting to stink." Eddy said. "You'll get over it flathead."

"Be that as it may, you need to stop scratching yourself." Double D argued. In response, Ed actually started scratching himself more vigorously. "Now really, Ed! You're going to hurt yourself doing that!"

"Leave'em alone Double D." Eddy sighed. "What have we got to do before we get going?"

Double D pulled out a small pocket note pad that he had bought in Westerway City and consulted it. "We need to buy some more of the usual supplies. We might also want to consider buying a portable stove or something of that sort."

"Why would we need to do that?" Eddy asked. "Sounds expensive."

"We're going to have to camp in Churn Tunnel for at least one night." Double D explained. "If we want to have hot food we're going to need something to cook it with that doesn't make smoke."

"Right. We can't use a fire in a cave." Eddy admitted. "Unless you can rig something up to get around that."

"I don't have the materials for that Eddy." Double D said. "Back home, I had an entire junkyard from which to scavenge materials for your various harebrained machinations. I haven't seen anything like that here. Unless, of course, you want to spend a day or two cooling your heels here while I see what I can find."

"No, I do not." Eddy growled back. "How are we for money anyway?"

"We've got enough." Double D replied as he consulted the notepad again. "Though, I am still trying to fully comprehend this monetary system. Its currency and its value is nothing like what we hand back home."

"It's simple Double D." Eddy said, a bit condescendingly. "Money is money. What else would you need to know?" He turned away from Double D and made his way towards the front desk. "Lets get our pokémon and get back on the road."

"It's more complicated than that." Double D muttered under his breath as he followed.

"Boys, I have a favor to ask." The Nurse Joy said as she handed the trio their pokémon. "There's a gentleman in the rec room whose looking for some help. Specifically, pokémon trainers heading to Slate Town."

"Help? Help with what?" Double D asked.

"Well, so far as I understand it, this gentleman and another man were going to travel through Churn Tunnel." Nurse Joy explained. "Apparently, his traveling companion had to back out on very short notice and now he's stuck here. He asked me to keep an eye out for anyone who was traveling through Churn Tunnel and to send them his way. He was hoping that such a person or persons would allow him to tag-along."

"I don't see why…." Double D started.

"What's in it for us?" Eddy cut him off.

"He did mention payment." Nurse Joy responded.

"We're in!" Eddy declared.

"Good." Nurse Joy said. "Like I said, he's in the rec room. He's the only one in there right now so you can't miss him."

Eddy practically ran into the rec room. "Wait up Eddy!" Ed shouted as he happily ran after him. Double D sighed and gave the Nurse Joy an apologetic look.

"Please forgive my friend's rudeness." He apologized to her. "He has a very antagonistic personality and he has an unfortunate tendency to act and not think. He doesn't necessarily mean to be rude but…."

Nurse Joy shrugged. "I work in customer service. I have to deal with rude people all the time."

Double D winced, but decided not to follow up on that statement. Instead, he followed Ed and Eddy into the rec room. As the Nurse Joy had said, the man had been the only person in the room until they showed up. He was sitting at the table that was both closest to the doorway and yet still clearly visible to anyone walking into the room. He looked to be somewhere in his middle to late forties. He was short, being about five feet five inches if Double D were to guess. He was stocky; specifically in the way of a person who had wide shoulders and chest as opposed to being fat. He had light brown hair, which was cut so short as to almost be a buzz cut, and a pair of bright green eyes. The man's clothes, a long-sleeved red shirt, blue jeans, and hiking boots, were old and worn. To Double D, they looked like the kind of clothes one would wear when they expected to get dirty. Eddy and Ed were sitting at the table with the man and Eddy appeared to be negotiating with him. The man noticed Double D approaching, stood from his chair, and extended his hand.

"You must be Double D." The man said cheerfully. "The name's Dean Wells. It's a pleasure to meet you, and if you don't mind me saying, you've got an interesting name there."

"My name is actually Edd, spelled with two Ds." Double D replied as he shook the man's hand. "But I refer to go by Double D since the only difference between my name and my friend Ed's name is the spelling. It helps to avoid confusion between the two of us."

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Dean commented. "As I was telling your friends, I was looking for people to tag along with through Churn Tunnel."

"And you were just mentioning payment." Eddy cut in.

"Right to the point, I see." Dean said, his tone a mix of amusement and annoyance. "But before I go any further, let me explain what exactly it is I'd be hiring you to do. My partner, though I suppose boss might be the more appropriate term, and I weren't going to Churn Tunnel for the sake of traveling."

"So then why were you going there?" Eddy asked.

"My boss is something of an academic, or at least he is in his spare time anyway." Dean explained. "For the past year, he's been conducting a survey of pokémon in various parts of the Dentor Region. We were supposed to do a survey in Churn Tunnel today, but my boss got a call from one of his business partners and he had to postpone this one. I was left here in the hopes that I could hire someone to help me conduct his survey."

"And what would we need to do?" Eddy asked.

"Protection, essentially." Dean replied with a shrug. "I don't need help with the survey. I can do that will enough for what we need on my own. The problem is the same problem that everyone traveling through areas with wild pokémon. They like to fight and, while I do own pokémon, I'm not a pokémon trainer."

"But doesn't owning pokémon make you a pokémon trainer?" Double D asked.

"No, at least not in the conventional sense." Dean answered. "While owning pokémon does technically make you a pokémon trainer, there are certain things that you need to do to be considered a proper pokémon trainer."

"Like what?" Eddy asked.

"Like train pokémon." Dean sighed. "The pokémon I have don't battle. I use them to help me do the jobs that I do for my boss. They could battle if push came to shove, but that's not what they're used to. Also, I don't catch pokémon. The pokémon that I have were ones that I received from special institutions that train pokémon for services other than battling."

"Yeah, yeah, we get the picture." Eddy cut in. "What would you have to do to do this survey?"

"Its simple. I would take notes on and, if possible, examine any pokémon we would encounter on the main path through the cave." Dean replied, apparently ignoring Eddy's rudeness. "It would also involve taking some detours down some smaller tunnels that branch off the main path."

"And how long would this whole thing take?" Eddy asked.

"I can trim it down to about two days." Dean replied after a moment's thought. "It wouldn't be entirely what we wanted to do, but something is better than nothing I suppose."

"What would the pay be?" Eddy asked, finally getting back to the question he had wanted to ask from the start.

"I can pay $1,500 when we are finished." Dean replied, actually pulling a wad of cash out of his pocket to show them.

To his immense surprise, Eddy found himself in a quandary. On the one hand, he loved money. He would happily partake in any labor imaginable so long as it ending with him having money. On the other hand, he wanted to keep up an at least somewhat brisk pace. He didn't want to get bogged down in what amounted to someone's homework. He also didn't like the idea of having to spend more than a day in a tunnel. Conflicted, he turned to Double D. "What do ya think?"

Double D shrugged. "We could use the money, and it was going to take more than a day to get through Churn Tunnel anyway. I told you that already remember?"

"Alright then, we'll do it." Eddy concluded.

"Great." Dean said happily as he stood up from the table. "If you don't have any objections, I would like to get started right now."

"We can't leave just yet." Double D interjected. "We need to restock our provisions before we can go on any kind of extended journey."

"That's not a problem." Dean reassured, gesturing under the table as he did so. Eddy and Double D looked under the table to see two massive saddle bags sitting on the floor. "My boss and I had packed enough stuff for at least a week. We didn't get the chance to use any of it so there should be enough for four people over two days."

"Well, what are fortuitous happenstance." Double D muttered.

"Great!" Eddy exclaimed as he also got up from the table. "Then lets get this show on the road!"

"Right." Dean replied. He bent over and began to pull the saddlebags out from under the table. "Can one of you boys help me carry these things outside? I've got a pokémon that will carry this stuff but I can't get him out in here."

"Sure thing." Eddy turned to Ed. "Hop to it lumpy!"

"Mule time!" Ed shouted. He dropped off his chair and crawled under the table. The table shook, which was followed by an absent minded "ouch." He then crawled out from the other side of the table, dragging the saddlebags with him. He then stood up, balancing the saddlebags at his sides with the strap connecting the saddlebags running across the top of his head. "Sacks all hung and ready to march Eddy!"

"Well, perhaps I should just have you carry our stuff and give my pokémon the day off." Dean laughed. "It looks like you can carry them just fine."

"Don't hold your breath on that." Eddy warned. "Lumpy here is good for sprints but he doesn't have the endurance for the long run."

"Heavy..." Ed groaned, sagging slightly.

"Hey, come on. I'm only joking." Dean chuckled. "Lets get outside so we can get loaded up." Within a few short moments, the trio plus Dean were standing outside of the Pokémon Center. "Right fellas," Deans said as he pulled out a Poké Ball. "Allow me to introduce my Mudsdale." The pokémon that appeared from the Poké Ball resembled a horse. It was large; standing around eight feet tall and being powerfully built. Its body was covered in short, brown fur while its mane and tail were black with patches of red. Its eyes were also surrounded by black fur while there was a small red rim along the bottom of the eyes. Its muzzle was covered in a red blaze while two long, black ears stood up out of its head. Its mane stood up like a large mohawk while three dreadlocks hung from each side of its neck. The mane ran down its neck, thinned to small line along its back, then ran into the tail. Its tail appeared to be a long, thick mass of dreadlocks. The pokémon's lower legs and hooves appeared to be completely encased in thick, red mud.

"Well, there's a work horse if ever I saw one." Eddy commented while Double D pulled out his Pokédex.

"Mudsdale, the Draft Horse Pokémon." It said. "It can trudge mountain roads without rest for three days and three nights, all while dragging a 10-ton load."

"Yeah, it certainly appears to be a pokémon well suited to extreme physical exertion." Double D added.

"Yup." Dean said as he patted Mudsdale's side. "This guy's a big help when I need to move stuff around. Admittedly he doesn't get anywhere fast, but he does get there and with a lot of stuff. Now then, lets get those bags on him." It took a good ten minutes, given Eddy and Double D's lack of significant strength. Ed couldn't help as he was the one holding the bags up. They only managed it in the end by asking a passerby for help. It took several more minutes for Dean to securely strap the saddlebags to Mudsdale's back before they were ready to go. "Right, we're set and ready to go."

"Finally." Eddy groaned as he rubbed his sore back.

"Ow…." Double D moaned in pain.

"My head hurts." Ed said absently.

"Oh, come on!" Dean sighed exasperatedly. "It wasn't that bad."

"Speak for yourself." Eddy muttered. "Hey Double D, how long will it take to get to Churn Tunnel?"

"It won't take long." Double D responded as he pointed off in an easterly direction. They hadn't seen it the dark when they had arrived in Heatherburg the previous night, but the eastern and northern horizons were dominated by mountains. "Though it will be a bit of a hike to get there."

"Then lets get moving." Eddy growled as he started walking.

"Uh, you're going the wrong way." Dean said. He pointed to street going in the opposite direction. "We need to go this way."

"Right, I knew that." Eddy muttered as he did an about-face and started walking in the direction that Dean had pointed.

"Ho-Tally!" Ed cried as he followed after Eddy.

"It's going to be a long day." Double D sighed as he followed. He then noticed that Dean had followed, but so had the Mudsdale without any prompting. "Don't you need a lead to keep him from running off?"

"No." Dean answered. "My Mudsdale was specifically trained to follow its owner without the need of of tools or verbal commands. I've also had him for years now so he knows that he's supposed to follow me in any event." He turned to the Mudsdale and patted its neck. "Isn't that right buddy?" The Mudsdale gave an affirmative snort. "You see, Mudsdale isn't just a pet or a tool. He's my friend. I've spent years building a relationship with him so that he trusts me implicitly. Pokémon are very smart creatures ya know."

"Yes." Double D agreed. "They do seem to be highly intelligent."

"There's no 'seem' about. It's a scientific fact." Dean countered. "In fact, Alakazams have an IQ of around 5,000!"

"5,000…." Double D gaped. "That's greater than what can be artificially achieved, let alone what any human is capable of!"

"Yup!" Dean chuckled. "And there are several others that are just as smart."

"Really?" Double D asked, eyes widening in excitement.

"Yeah." Dean answered. "Though I can't remember what they are off the top of my head. Psychic types tend to be the ones that are at the level of or surpass human intelligence."

"I'll make a note of it." Double D said. He even pulled out his note pad and actually wrote it down. He looked up to see Dean giving him a strange look. "What?"

"You're the academic type aren't you?" Dean asked.

"Yes, that would be correct." Double D admitted.

"Well, if you don't mind me saying, you don't seem like the kind of guy who would go on a pokémon journey." Dean said slowly. "You seem more like the type who would get an internship at a pokémon lab or with a pokémon professor."

"It's possible that I'll pursue that line of work in the future, but meanwhile I've got to look after those two.." Double D shrugged as he pointed to Eddy and Ed, who had gotten ahead of Dean and Double D. "Those two would be completely lost without someone riding herd on them. The someone in question is me."

"And do you like doing this?"

"No." Double D sighed. "But they're my friends and I feel obligated. For better or worse, anyway."

"Ah…."

"Hey you two!" Eddy shouted, interrupting the conversation. "Shake a leg! We ain't got all day."

"For better or worse huh." Dean laughed as he, and his Mudsdale, quickened their pace to catch up.

"For better or worse." Double D sighed as he ran after them.

* * *

 **Route 1**

"Nazz, you need to catch a pokémon." That was Kevin's announcement as the quartet left the boundaries of Cansport Town and stepped onto Route 1. They had gotten an early start, after being seen off by Professor Maria with a large breakfast and the same supplies she had given the Eds.

"Why me?" Nazz asked a bit defensively. "What's wrong with Snivy?"

"Nothing." Kevin answered. "It's just that the first gym uses Bug type pokémon and Snivy is a Grass type pokémon."

"Oh..." Nazz muttered as she thought back to Kevin's explanations during the flight. "And I take it that Grass types are weak to Bug types?"

"Rolf can attest to this." Rolf groaned, shuttering at bad memories. "Pestilential insects have always been the bane of Rolf's garden. Nothing saddens the heart of the Son of a Shepard more than a garden eaten by bugs."

"Yeah. Grass types are weak to Bug types." Kevin said. "I'll be alright since Water types are not weak to Bug types, although there will be a problem if any of them happen to know a Grass type move. Rolf will be alright since Fire types have the advantage against Bug types. Jonny will be alright because his Rowlet is part Flying type and it resists Bug types."

"Oh…." Nazz sighed. "So how do I catch a pokémon."

"You find a wild pokémon, battle it to weaken it, and then throw an empty Poké Ball at it." Kevin explained.

"How do we find these wild beast?" Rolf asked, surveying their surroundings. They were currently standing on the route itself, which was hard packed dirt. The route cut through a mostly flat, grassy plain with the occasional tree. "Do we track them down or will they come to us?"

"Both." Kevin replied. "It depends on what you want to do." Suddenly, a patch of grass on the side of the path began to shake. "Well, that settles that question." Kevin sighed as he pulled out a Poké Ball.

"What is it?" Nazz asked, also pulling out her Poké Ball.

"Nothing I can't handle." Kevin boasted. "Besides, this would be a good time to show you guys how to battle." Then, a Rattata jumped out from the grass and hissed angrily at the group. "First off, you need to send out your pokémon." Kevin opened his Poké Ball and his Totodile appeared in a flash of light.

(Oh, are we getting started now?) Totodile asked as it looked around. (Does this mean I get to bite stuff?)

"The next thing you can do is to scan the pokémon with your Pokédex." Kevin continued. He pulled out his Pokédex and scanned the Rattata, making sure that the others saw exactly how he was working the thing.

"Rattata, the Mouse Pokémon." It said. "With their strong capacity for survival, they can live in dirty places without concern. Left unchecked, their numbers multiply rapidly."

"Rats." Rolf growled. "The other bane of Rolf."

"Then you give orders to your pokémon to use one of their moves. You can use your Pokédex to see what moves your pokémon knows." Kevin explained. "For example, Totodile! Use Scratch!"

(But I want to bite stuff!) Totodile whined. He still charged the Rattata and smacked it with its clawed paws. The Rattata grunted in pain, then threw itself at Totodile. It slammed into Totodile's chest and bounced off. It scampered back a few feet and hissed at Totodile.

"Give it a Leer Totodile!" Kevin commanded. Totodile contorted its face into a rather demonic looking sneer and growled menacingly. The Rattata recoiled at the sight, but it still charged Totodile for another Tackle attack. Totodile, with a surprising amount of grace and agility, twirled out of the way of the attack. He even gave the Rattata a good smack on the romp as it hurtled past. The Rattata tripped a fell flat on its face, but quickly regained its feet.

(You're going to pay for that!) It snarled.

(Actually, you should grateful.) Totodile smiled coldly. (I can't Bite yet.)

"Your pokémon's a dancer Kevin." Nazz chuckled.

Kevin shrugged. "For now, perhaps. I've seen what this guy evolves into. When that happens he'll be more of a powerhouse than an acrobat. Give it another Scratch Totodile!" Totodile charged at the Rattata. He brought his small hands together, its claws pointing upward, and slammed them upward into Rattata's chin in an improvised upper cut. The Rattata was flung round in a cartwheel and slammed belly first into the ground. The Rattata hissed angrily at Totodile but made no attempt to regain its feet. "Now, there are two things you could do at this point." Kevin said as it became quite clear that the Rattata was no longer in a position to continue fighting. "You could attack it again. That would cause the pokémon to faint. You won't be able to caught the pokémon at that point, but the pokémon you used will receive a fair bit of experience."

"Experience?" Rolf asked.

"It's something that pokémon gain when they battle." Kevin explained. "When pokémon gain experience, they will gain levels. When pokémon gain levels, they will become stronger, learn new moves, and even evolve into new pokémon."

"I see." Nazz commented. "And is the other thing you can do catch the pokémon?"

"Yes." Kevin nodded. "All you need to do is throw an empty Poké Ball at the pokémon. But you have to remember to weaken the pokémon first because wild pokémon can break out of Poké Balls. If the pokémon is strong it'll be more able to break out of the Poké Ball, but a weakened pokémon will have a harder time of it. You also need to remember that if the pokémon breaks out it'll destroy the Poké Ball and you won't be able to use it again."

"Really?" Nazz exclaimed. "That seems kind of wrong."

"Sounds like tomfoolery shenanigans to Rolf." Rolf put in.

Kevin shrugged. "Yeah, that's been a conspiracy theory for years now. A lot of people think that Poké Balls are specifically designed to be destroyed when a wild pokémon break out of them. No one's been able to prove it though. Then again, no one's been able to design a Poké Ball that doesn't break when a wild pokémon breaks out of it either."

Meanwhile, Jonny had been watching the battle without comment. He had been about to ask Kevin a question when he turned his attention to Plank. "What's that Plank?" He held the inanimate board to his ear. Plank, being a wooden board, didn't make any noise whatsoever, but Jonny always seemed to get something from. Today was no different. "Alright, if you say so buddy!" He pulled one of the empty Poké Balls that Professor Maria had given all of them and threw it at the Rattata. The Poké Ball flew through the air, hit the Rattata, and it was sucked into the Poké Ball in a bright flash of light. The Poké Ball rattled three times before going still with a loud _click_. Nazz, Rolf, and Jonny stared at the Poké Ball expectantly while Kevin just sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Did I catch it?" Jonny finally asked.

"Yes, you did." Kevin growled. "By the way, while I wasn't going to catch that Rattata it would be a good idea to _not do anything like that again!_ "

"Why not?" Jonny snapped defensively. "Plank thought it was a good idea."

"Yeah, it's a good idea if you want to get your teeth knocked in." Kevin snapped back. "Look, there's a certain list of 'unofficial rules' that it would be a good idea to follow if you become a Pokémon Trainer. One of the biggest and most important of those rules is ' _you_ _ **do not**_ _catch a wild_ _pokémon that another person is battling unless you have their express permission!_ ' It is, by far, the worst possible non-criminal thing that you can do as a Pokémon Trainer!"

"Why?" Jonny asked.

"I can give that pummeling now if you want!" Kevin growled. "Even you should be able to figure out why someone would be very angry if you did that!"

"Nope!" Jonny laughed. "Anyway, Plank and I are going to go look for pokémon on our own for a while. We'll catch up with you guys later!" With that, he ran towards the nearest group of grass patches and drove headfirst into them.

"Jonny, wait!" Nazz called out. She even started to chase after him. "We should stick together!"

"Let'm go!" Kevin shouted at her. At Nazz's glare, he moderated his tone. "If he doesn't want to travel with us, then he doesn't have to. It'll just make everyone miserable if you try and force him to stay."

"Jonny-the-wood-boy can take care of himself." Rolf put in. "He's an Urban Ranger, and the Son of a Shepard has trained him well! Ranger Plank is even more capable. They will be fine."

"Wait, Plank's a ranger?" Nazz asked, very much surprised. "Dude, how does a piece of wood do anything?"

"You'd be surprised." Rolf said cryptically.

"In any event, we can't force him to stay with us." Kevin said firmly. "We should just move on with our journey and let him join back up with us in his own time."

"I suppose you're right." Nazz huffed, crossing her arms. "But don't yell at me like that again!"

"Right, right. I'm sorry." Kevin apologized. "I was just getting frustrated with Jonny. It won't happen again, I swear."

Nazz pouted, but she was at least partially mollified. "It better not happen again. Now, how's about we stop hanging around here and get started again?"

"I'm all for that!" Kevin agreed.

"Yes. Travel is good for the soul." Rolf commented. "Why, Nana and her family has traveled far and wide and look what they've become!" Kevin, who had met Nana on several occasions and seen pictures of her family, pantomimed being violently sick behind Rolf's back. Nazz giggled. "This is no joke." Rolf continued, mistaking Nazz's giggles for incredulity. He reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet. "Rolf can show with the collect of family photo do-hickies that Rolf keeps in his wallet."

"No dude, that's alright. We'll take your word for it." Kevin said quickly. He actually started pushing Rolf down the path while Nazz followed. "We need to getting if we want to get to, um, New Greenvale Town wasn't it?"

"I think so." Nazz replied as she pulled out her map and examined it. "Yeah, it's New Greenvale Town. It's not that far so we should be there by mid to late afternoon. By the way, where are we going to stay when we get their? Are we going to rent some hotel rooms or are we going to camp or something?"

"We can probably stay at a Pokémon Center." Kevin answered. "Pokémon Centers," he continued, seeing the confused looks on Rolf and Nazz's faces, "are something of a mix between hospital and hostel. Long story short, they are places that provide healthcare for Pokémon and accommodation for Pokémon Trainers."

"Can we afford that?" Nazz asked.

"We don't have to." Kevin answered. "All of those services are provided for free. The only thing we need to is prove that we are Pokémon Trainer, which won't be a problem."

"Really?" Nazz wondered. "Then how do they stay open?"

Kevin shrugged. "Subsidies and tax breaks. And donations; lots and lots of donations. You see, people, especially people with pokémon, are really keen on keeping the places where they can get their pokémon medical care open."

"Alright then." Nazz mused. "And we'll be able to stay the night there?"

"Yup." Kevin responded. "Unless they're filled up or something. Then we'd have to have to find a motel. If we can't get that, then we'd have to camp."

Nazz shuttered. "I'm not looking forward to that."

"It's all part of the experience!" Kevin laughed.

"Fear not, Go-Go Nazz girl!" Rolf proclaimed. "For the Son of a Shepard will teach you all of the necessities of, how you say, 'roughing in the woods.' It is a very simple thing to do, as any Wee Roach in the Urban Rangers will tell you."

"Rolf, what have we told you about you and your Urban Losers recruitment drives?" Kevin sighed.

"No recruitment!" Rolf defended. "I'm only offering my assistance to the fragile Nazz girl so that I might attain the Camping Assistance to City Folk Badge."

"Right." Nazz said dryly. She decided to change the subject. "Hey Kevin, you said that you hadn't been on a pokémon journey right?"

"Yes."

"So then where did you get that pokémon that you already had?" She asked.

"It was a gift." Kevin answered. "I got it on my last birthday."

"So you've had it for a few months then." Nazz continued.

"Yup." Kevin nodded. "Though I haven't had the chance to really use it since there aren't any pokémon around Peach Creek."

"So then how did your elders get there hands on such a thing if they aren't found around home?" Rolf asked.

"My grandfather sent it to me." Kevin explained. "He's been a Pokémon Trainer for most of his life and, while he's slowed down quite a bit, he's still at it. In one of his more recent bouts of wanderlust, he came across a pokémon that he couldn't use, but he thought it would be a good idea to give me the thing. I had been considering sending it back since I had no plans of going on doing anything with pokémon for the foreseeable future." He chuckled at the though. "I guess it's a good thing that I kept putting it off."

"So what is it then?" Nazz asked.

"It's a…." Kevin stopped, then smirked. "You know what? I think I'll keep it a secret for now. Leave you guys in suspense for a while."

"Really?" Nazz sighed.

"It won't be for long." Kevin shrugged. "I'll probably use it when we take on the gym in Westerway City." Nazz was wondering whether or not it'd be a good idea to press him on the subject when her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a small boy leaping from the grass in front of them.

"Hey you!" He shouted at the trio as he brandished a Poké Ball. "Lets battle!"

"Uhm…what?" Nazz asked, a bit flustered.

"Whenever two Pokémon Trainers meet in the wild like this they are supposed to battle each other." Kevin explained. "It's one of those 'unofficial rules' that I mentioned earlier."

"Oh."

"Rolf accepts the challenge then!" Rolf declared, pulling out his own Poké Ball and sending out Chimchar. "Prepare yourself little boy for honor shall be mine!"

"That's some pretty big talk there bean pole!" The youngster shot back as he sent out his pokémon. "Lets cut this guy down to size Pidgey!"

(I wish this guy would find a better place to ambush people.) The Pidgey chirped as it materialized out of the Poké Ball. (If I have to keep getting my ass kicked a change in scenery would be nice.)

(Finally!) Chimchar grunted as he stretched. (I was in that Poké Ball for way too long.)

"Chimchar! Use your scratching attack on the pest bird!" Rolf commanded.

(If you mean Scratch, then sure.) Chimchar charged the Pidgey and swatted it with it's clawed paws. The Pidgey tried to dodge the attack by taking to the air, but Chimchar still managed to get in a clean hit before the Pidgey got too high. The Pidgey wobbled in the air for a moment before obtaining steady flight.

"Hey!" The youngester shouted angerily. "It's a Pidgey, not a pest! Give it a Tackle Pidgey!" Flapping its wings furiously, the Pidgey gained several feet of altitude before dropping down on Chimchar. It slammed into Chimchar, knocking it off its feet.

"Attack again with your scratching attack!" Rolf ordered. Chimchar curled up on itself, then sprang to its feet in a motion resembling a rising handspring. He then leaped at the Pidgey, which hadn't entirely recovered from its attack and thus had not gained enough altitude to be out of Chimchar's reach. He smashed his paws into the Pidgey and sent in spiraling into the ground.

"Scratch Rolf!" Kevin shouted to Rolf. "The attack's name is Scratch! Just say Scratch!"

"Oh….." Rolf muttered. "I see."

"Tackle again Pidgey!" The youngester ordered. The Pidgey launched itself from the ground and shot headlong into Chimchar. Chimchar was knocked to the ground, however this time he managed to grab a hold of one of Pidgey's wings. The result was that the Pidgey, instead of flying away, was slammed into the ground right next to the prone Chimchar.

"Scratch once more Chimchar!" Rolf declared. Chimchar jumped to his feet, then put his arms together in something resembling a forearm pass from volleyball with its clawed paws pointed up. He then swung up, slashing Pidgey and sending it flying into the arm.

"Alright! Enough! Enough!" The youngster shouted as he returned the Pidgey mid-air. "You win."

"Rolf is victorious!" Rolf shouted. "Bow down and be humble in the presence of the Son of a Shepard!"

(Hey! What about me?) Chimchar complained as he jumped onto Rolf's shoulder. (I'm the one who did all of the fighting!)

"And you, Rolf's newest farmyard charge! Let the Son of a Shepard praise you with the traditional congratulatory armpit rub." With that, Rolf grabbed his Chimchar and began to massage its armpits. "You find it soothing, yes?"

(…..kind of, actually.) Chimchar admitted. (Though I'm not sure about doing it in public like this.)

"You don't have to rub it in." The youngster fumed. He walked over to Rolf and held out a hand full of money. "Here." He growled.

Rolf stared at the proffered money in confusion. "What is this?"

"Um…your prize money?" The youngster asked incredulously.

"The loser of a pokémon battle is required to give the winner a bit of money as a prize." Kevin explained. "It's another one of those 'rules' that I mentioned earlier."

"Really?" Nazz asked.

"Yes, or at least in most circumstances." Kevin continued. "The trainers can offer other things as a reward like items or decide to just pass on the reward thing entirely. It's one of the looser rules that pokémon trainers abide by."

"Geeze, what's with you guys? Everybody knows this stuff!" The youngster shouted in frustration. "Did you crawl out from under the same rock that those other guys came out from?"

"Other guys?" Kevin asked, his interest perked.

"Yeah, three other guys came through here a few days ago." The youngster said. "They knew even less than you did! I never seen trainers who were that clueless!"

"Did you catch their names?" Kevin asked.

"Kevin." Nazz warned, giving Kevin a hard look. "Remember what you promised?"

"I didn't get their names." The youngster admitted, not catching the interplay between Nazz and Kevin. "I can describe them, though. One was short with a loud mouth, the second had a black sock on his head, and the third was tall and smelled like a dumpster."

"Sounds like the muckraking Ed boys to Rolf." Rolf said, finally taking the money from the youngster. "And what sort of flim-flam shenanigan swindle did the shut-the-barn-door-after-the-bolting-horse Ed boys get about?"

"What?" The youngster asked, not understanding a word of Rolf's question.

"He asked if they tried to scam you." Kevin explained.

"Scam?"

"We know the guys." Kevin continued. "They have a habit of trying to scam people out of their money."

"Oh, well no. They didn't try anything like that." The youngster said. "I battled the loudmouth and he won so I suppose he didn't have to scam me since he took it as prize money."

"Hm…." Kevin muttered. Upon seeing Nazz's hard look start to turn glacial, he decided to drop the subject. "Well then, we'll be on our way then. Try not to get into to much trouble before you can get to a Pokémon Center." With that rather blunt dismissal, Kevin nonchalantly strolled off in the direction they'd been heading before the youngster had challenged them. The youngster swore under his breath before storming off.

"Kevin, what I'm I going to do with you?" Nazz sighed in frustration.

"Come along Nazz girl!" Rolf encouraged as he followed after Kevin. "For the best way to control the stubborn ox is to keep a firm hand on the rein. And the whip, but the Son of a Shepard does not think that that would be an acceptable approach for dealing with Kevin."

"No." Nazz chuckled as she followed after. "But I do want to give him a good smack every now and again."

* * *

 **Churn Tunnel**

"Argh! What's with all the bats!"

"Zubats Eddy!"

"I don't care!"

The Eds, plus Dean Wells, had reached Churn Tunnel without major incident. They had run into a bug catcher near the entrance of the cave, but Double D and his Pidgey had seen him off. They also hadn't seen any wild pokémon during their little trek. Dean had explained that only a few species of pokémon were found in the area outside of the Heatherburg entrance of Churn Tunnel and all of them were not active in the morning. Eddy hadn't cared, but Ed and Double D had been a bit put out by this. Ed had even whined a bit, but Eddy had put a stop to that with a good kick to the backside to get him moving again. No sooner had the group set foot in the cave when a swarm off bat like pokémon descended upon them.

"Sorry, but I forgot to mention it." Dean commented wryly after the Eds had fought off the first swarm. "Churn Tunnel is chuck full of Zubats, or at least there are more than what you'd usually expect to be hanging around in here anyway. I suspect that fighting off Zubats is pretty much what you're going to be doing for most of this trip." As it had turned out, he had been completely and one hundred percent correct. In point of fact, they'd spent the last few hours of their trek through the cave fending off successive hordes of Zubats without any other pokémon in sight. Eventually, they reached one the branching passageways that Dean had wanted to explore for his survey. Unfortunately, they had almost immediately been attacked by another swarm of Zubats upon finding it. It was several minutes of battling before the swarm had been whittled down to one lone Zubat.

"I'll take care of this last one." Eddy growled, gesturing at the lone Zubat. He had had his Charmeleon out, but he switched it out for Shinx. "Besides, if I understand my Pokédex right Shinx is about to grow a level so I want to get that taken care of."

"Be my guest." Double D said, taking several steps back to be out of the way. "I need to heal my pokémon in any event."

"Rest for Ed's monsters." Ed added. "Buttered toast for everyone!"

"Ed, you can't feed your pokémon buttered toast remember?" Double D said patiently. "Besides, you don't have any buttered toast on you."

"Sure I do!" Ed replied. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a piece of buttered toast. Or at least, he assumed that the bread had once been buttered. It was entirely covered in a bluish-green mold and a large mushroom was growing out of the center of this. "Want a bite?"

"Good lord man!" Double D shouted, actually jumping back in horror. "Ed! Get ride of that right now!"

"No way." Ed said, actually taking a bite out of the rancid toast. "Yum. I've been saving it for two years now." Double D gagged.

"How is he not dead?" Dean asked, horrified. "How does he even managed to function on a day to day basis?"

"That is a very good question." Double D panted, trying to regain control of his gag reflex. "I do greatly wish that I had a good answer."

"Pipe down back there!" Eddy shouted. "Shinx, use Spark on that stupid bat!"

(Alright, here we go!) Shinx charged forward, electricity beginning to build up around its body. (Let's try this!) He jumped at a short, jagged rock that jutted out from the tunnel wall. He perched there for a second then launched himself towards the Zubat. He slammed into the Zubat, discharging all of the built up electricity into the flying pokémon. The Zubat screeched in pain and fell to the ground. Unable to regain flight, it lifted its head and let of an ear piercing screech.

"That Supersonic thing again." Eddy growled, hands clamped over his ears. Dean and Double D were doing the same, but Ed was actually doing a little jig.

"I like this song Eddy." Ed finishing his jig with a little spin as the screeching stopped. "Can we get one?"

"No!" Eddy shouted back. He turned to his Shinx. "You alright?"

Shinx nodded. (Yup. I'm still good.)

"Use Spark again!" Shinx charged the prone Zubat, electricity building up in his fur once more. He slammed into the Zubat, discharging the electricity and sending the wailing Zubat flying. The Zubat slammed into the side of the tunnel, fell to the ground, and promptly fainted. "Right," Eddy sighed in exasperation. "Now that we're free of the flying rats for a moment lets….." He trailed off as his Shinx began to glow brightly. "Finally, he's evolving!"

(Whoa boy!) Shinx roared as his body began to change under the bright light. It was only when the evolution process was finished and the light had vanished before any one of the group could get a good look at the newly evolved pokémon. It had the same body plan as Shinx but it had doubled in size. It's head was covered in a short, black mane with two tufts on the sides of the face, one on the chin, and one on the top of the head. Its face was covered in blue fur with a pair of large, yellow eyes. It also had a pair of large ears covered in light blue fur while the insides of the ears were lined with yellow fur. The front half of its body was covered in the same blue colored fur as its face and ears. There were also two yellow bands on each of its forelegs. The back half of its body was covered in black fur, except the paws on its hind legs which were blue colored. It had a long tail that ended in a star shaped structure that was colored yellow.

(Wow!) The new evolved pokémon panted as he examined his new body. (What a rush!)

"You scan him Double D." Eddy said, also examining his pokémon.

"He's your pokémon. Why don't you do it?" Doubled D grumbled. He walked up beside Eddy and pulled his Pokédex. "It's not like you've never done it before."

"Because the smartsy stuff is your thing." Eddy replied.

Double D snorted in annoyance, but scanned the pokémon anyway. "Luxio, the Spark Pokémon. By gathering their tails together, they collectively generate powerful electricity from their claws."

"Hmm….." Dean muttered to himself. He had been occasionally been take down notes on a notepad during their fights against the Zubats. He hadn't taken any notes during this battle, but he did jot something down after the Pokédex had finished it's monotone monologue. Putting away his pad and pen, he examined the opening in the tunnel wall that they had found before the recent Zubat attack. After a minute, he nodded and turned to the Eds. "Alright boys, this is our first stop." Dean said as he slung off his backpack. He gestured at an opening in the cave wall that looked only just big enough for Dean himself to squeeze through.

"You sure?" Double D asked, examining the opening. "It doesn't look quite big enough for you to obtain entry into this subterranean side path."

"Yeah, it's fine." Dean reassured as he set his bag against the wall. His Mudsdale tromped over to the wall and sat itself down on the ground beside the bag. Dean pulled a treat from his pocket and held it up to Mudsdale's mouth who ate it gratefully. "You take a good rest buddy. This is going to be a while."

"A while?" Eddy asked. "How long is 'a while' going to be?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't plan on going very far into the side branches, but it will depend on how many pokémon I come across. One hour, perhaps two."

"Hours!" Eddy exclaimed in horror. "We have to wait for hours?!"

"I paying you for it!" Dean snapped back in annoyance. "Besides, you could come with me. I'm going to need at least one of you guys to come with me for protection."

"I volunteer for that." Double D put in quickly, preventing the rude response that Eddy was bound to make. "I would be very interested to see a pokémon survey. I might even want to take a swing at it myself." He slung off his backpack and set it neatly against the tunnel wall.

"Alright." Dean said, pulling a large flashlight from his bag. He then pulled a Poké Ball and sent out the pokémon inside. The pokémon was bat like, but not like the ones that the Eds had been fighting all day. It had a large head with two massive ears perched atop it. The head was covered with fur that was a light purple in color while its jaw was covered in black fur. Its large ears were lined by dark purple fur, followed by a band of light purple fur, another ring of dark purple, then a large patch of black fur in the middle of the ears. It had a pair of large, yellow eyes and a v-shaped pattern of dark purple fur was prominently place on the front of its snout. It had a prominent chest and hips covered in black fur with a thin purple furred midsection connecting the two. It had a pair of rather small looking wings that were also covered in a light purple fur. It also had two short legs and two large feet that were also covered in light purple fur.

"Great! More bats!" Eddy complained.

"Bats are cool Eddy!" Ed defending, shoving Eddy into the cave wall. He then pulled a moldy cracker from his pocket and held it towards the pokémon. "Cracker?"

"Uh no thanks." Dean said quickly, snatching the pokémon from the air and placing it on his shoulder. "It's a bad idea to feed him before he does his job."

"Job?" Ed asked. "Oh, is he a vampire bat!?" He reached into his coat and pulled out one of his many comic books. The comic, called _Horrible Tales of the Cursed Vault_ , feature a man in a blood splattered Victorian style suit holding an unconscious woman with a graveyard in the background. "Does he turn into John the Bloody, Jack the Ripper's vampiric son?!"

"I'm sorry, what?" Dean asked, actually taking a step back.

"Get off!" Eddy shouted into the wall, since Ed was still holding him against it. He managed to slid out from under Ed's hand, snatched the comic from Ed's other hand, and smacked him about the head with it. "It ain't no vampire you idiot! Where do you even keep all of the comics anyway?"

"Right here!" Ed said proudly as he opening up his jacket. One side of the jacket lining had several pockets poorly sewn on and each of those pockets was crammed full with various comics. "My favorite jacket collection."

"How do you even manage that?" Dean asked, looking at the stuffed jacket in awe. "I couldn't tell it was stuffed full like that from the outside."

"Don't even try." Eddy snorted, throwing the comic back at Ed. "I've known him my whole life and I _still_ can't make heads or tails of him. Just scan his pokémon with your Pokédex so we can get on with this!"

"Righty'o bucky'o!" Ed declared happily as he whipped out his Pokédex.

"Wasn't that my job?" Double D muttered under his breath.

"Noibat, the Sound Wave Pokémon." It said. "They live in pitch black caves. Their enormous ears can emit ultrasonic waves of 200,000-hertz ultrasonic waves."

"Echolocation." Double D commented. "You use him to keep from lost when you're in the passageways that branch off from the main tunnel."

"Yup." Dean responded as he gave the Noibat a light pat on the head. He turned to Double D. "I'll take the front and you follow behind me, alright?"

"Shouldn't I be the one in front?" Double D asked. "How can I protect you if we are attacked if I'm behind you?"

Dean shrugged. "We need to be careful so we don't scare off any pokémon that aren't inclined to attack us on sight. It's not as simple as it sounds and there's an art to it. I need to go first because I've done it before so we can actually get something done. Besides, the tunnel's big enough that I'll be able to get out of the way without too much trouble. If not, well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"If you say so." Double D conceded.

"Then lets get going." Dean said. Turning on his flashlight, Dean walked over to the branch entrance and stepped through. Double D stepped in after him.

"Then what do I do in the meantime?" Eddy shouted after them.

"Read a book or something!" Double D shouted back. He then let lose a sardonic chuckle. "Or a magazine! I'm sure you bought some of them in Westerway City!"

"No I didn't" Eddy growled. Ed, meanwhile, had thrown himself on his back and pulled out one of his many comic books.

"Comic?" He asked.

"No Ed." Eddy growled back.

"More for me then!" Ed replied, starting to read his comic book. The fact that he was holding it upside down didn't seem to bother him at all. Grinding his teeth in frustration, Eddy slung off his own back and sat down against the wall. Luxio, which he hadn't bothered to return to his Poké Ball, curled up beside him and went to sleep. Eddy also tried to take a nap, but he was too keyed up from the fighting and the surface he was trying to nap on was horrifically uncomfortable. Out of seer desperation to alleviate his oncoming boredom, Eddy reached over to Double D's bag and pulled out the Dentor guide.

"Any port in a storm, dang it." Breaking with long established convention, Eddy actually began to, sort of, willingly read an educational anything. Surprisingly, the guide actually managed to hold his attention without boring him, at least too much. It certainly helped that it wasn't a textbook, full of 'useless facts' delivered in a desert dry prose. He was even, if very vaguely, getting interested in it. If nothing else, he was finding things that he was sure would bring some practical value in the long run. He had just finished a summary of type effectiveness when he was suddenly interrupted.

"YEOWOUCH!" Eddy jumped. Ed had screamed and propelled himself from the ground with enough force that he actually slammed into the roof of the tunnel. He bounced off the roof and landed on the ground in a cloud of dirt and dust. He then leaped into a sitting position and began to scoot across the ground on his hindquarters. "SOMETHING BIT MY BUTT!"

Eddy jumped to his feet, as did Luxio, and they both moved over to where Ed had been sitting. "What are you talking about!?" Eddy shouted, examining where Ed had been. "There's nothing here!"

"SOMETHING BAD EDDY!" Ed shouted, still dragging his butt in the dirt.

"Are you sure something didn't just crawl up your pants?" Eddy asked.

"No!" Ed responded, starting to calm down a bit. "Something in the ground bit me!" Eddy ran back to his backpack, picked up up one of the electric lanterns that provided their light, and played it over the place were Ed had been laying. With the aid of better lighting, this time Eddy saw a small hole in the floor. He knelt down on the ground to get a closer look at the hole. There wasn't much of it left; the walls of the hole had collapsed and filled most of it in. However, there was enough of the whole left to tell that the hole had been about the size of Eddy's fist.

"I take that back, monobrow." Eddy muttered. "There was something digging around over here."

"YEOWIE!" Ed rocketed off the floor and into the ceiling, smashing his head through the ceiling and becoming stuck. "IT BIT ME AGAIN!" Ed shouted, his voice muffled by the stone. Eddy had ignored Ed, instead focusing on the thing climbing out of the ground in a fury of flying dirt. The thing was small, standing at about a foot tall. It had a wide body which narrowed slightly at the head. It had a white face with long, white snout that ended in a small, pink nose. Its two large eyes were set close to the base of the snout. It's body was covered in black fur, while a purple strip ran down from its left should to the base of its torso. It connected to another band of purple fur that ran around the base of its body. It had two, thick arms that each ended in a set of three large claws instead of anything like traditional hands or paws. It had two small feet and a short, stubby tail.

The pokémon made several snorting noises that sounded suspiciously like laughter. (That was too easy!)

"Calm down, Ed." Eddy shouted to Ed. "It was just a pokémon. No need to throw a hissy fit." He turned to the pokémon and pulled out his Pokédex. "You're take some serious risks there buddy." Eddy said to the pokémon. "Ed's butt is really dangerous territory. You'd probably be safer diving headlong into a toxic waste dump."

"Drilbur, the Mole Pokémon." It said. "By spinning its body, it can dig straight through the ground at a speed of 30 mph."

(I didn't bit that guy!) Drilbur giggled. (I just gave him a few pokes, that's all.)

"Well, if you were looking for a fight you've got it!" Eddy challenged. "Luxio, use Spark!" Luxio charged toward the Drilbur, electricity building up in its fur. Luxio's attack was mere seconds away from making contact when several thoughts popped into Eddy's head at once. One; Luxio was an electric type. Two; Spark was electric type attack. Three; electric type attacks do no damage to ground type pokémon. Four; the Pokédex had listed Drilbur as a ground type pokémon. Five; electric types were weak against ground types. "Luxio! Wait!"

Unfortunately, it was too late. Luxio slammed into the Drilbur, electricity discharging, but to absolutely no effect. (Uh-oh) Luxio gasped.

(What was that?) Drilbur mocked. (That didn't even tickle! Let me show you how it's done!) It raised one of its arms, a coating of what appeared to be mud appeared on it, and smacked Luxio. Luxio was knocked off its feet and slammed into the ground.

"Crap." Eddy growled. "Use Tackle!" Luxio surged up from the ground and slammed into Drilbur. The Drilbur was completely bowled over.

(Take that!) Luxio panted. He then flinched as he was hit with a stab of pain. (Dang. I wished he'd healed me before this.)

(Okay, pal.) The Drilbur growled. (Now you've asked for it!) The Drilbur brought its arms up and pointed its feet down so that its body had been shaped into something like a dart. It then began to spin along its axis. After a few seconds where it spun faster and faster, it shot off like a rocket and hit Luxio head on. Luxio stood his ground, trying not to give way under the force of the attack. It was not enough, however. Luxio gave way and he was blasted off his feet and into the tunnel wall. He slide down the wall and hit the ground with a pained yelp. He tired to regain his feet, but collapsed back against the tunnel wall. He shuttered once, then fainted. (Take that!) Drilbur smirked.

"Crap." Eddy growled as he returned Luxio. He then pulled out Charmeleon's Poké Ball and sent him up. "You're up Charmeleon."

(Well, at least is not another bat.) Charmeleon commented as he materialized and saw Drilbur. (I was getting tried of them.)

(Round 2 eh?) Drilbur laughed, actually putting up her dukes like a boxer. (Well, bring them on then! I'll just knock'em down one by one!)

Charmeleon blinked in confusion. (I'm sorry, what?)

(I just kicked your friend's butt!) Drilbur bragged. (And I' kick your butt too!)

Charmeleon still looked confused, before a look of comprehension crossed his face. It was soon replaced, however, with a look of cold fury. (I see.) He said coolly. (You're going to regret that.)

(Says you!) Drilbur shot back.

"Use Dragon Rage!" Eddy shouted.

(With pleasure.) Charmeleon snarled. He opened his mouth and shot a stream of bluish flame at Drilbur.

(Ha! Like that's going to do anything!) Drilbur laughed. Drilbur had, unfortunately for her, mistaken Dragon Rage for being a fire type attack. She had been on the receiving of a fire attack before and knew that she resisted them. So she figured that she could take the attack on the chin without taking much damage. She only learned how mistaken she had been when the attack hit her. (ARGH!) She screamed as she was engulfed in the bluish flames. (THAT'S NOT FIRE!)

(No it's not.) Charmeleon growled. Drilbur continued to scream in pain as it rolled around in the dirt trying to put the flames out. Since it technically wasn't fire, this had little effect. In blind pain, the Drilbur flung itself at Charmeleon and tried to hit him with a Mud-Slap. Charmeleon tried to dodge the wild flailing, but Drilbur managed a solid hit on Charmeleon's right side. He grunted in pain but wasn't staggered by the attack. Drilbur, on the other hand, had fallen flat on her face. She tried to rise, but her body twitched violently, then fell back to the ground.

(Damn it.) Drilbur snarled into the dirt. (I'll get you for this.)

(That's not likely.) Charmeleon growled back. Suddenly, a Poké Ball flew over Charmeleon's head and hit Drilbur. The Drilbur was sucked into the Poké Ball, which shook three times, then went still with a loud _click._ Charmeleon turned and gave Eddy a sour look. Eddy, true to form, took no notice of it and took up the Poké Ball. (Well, I guess it can't be helped.) He sighed.

"Ha" Eddy proclaimed. "Who's laughing now!"

"Help!" Eddy looked up to see Ed, still stuck in the ceiling.

"Hang on there Ed." Eddy replied as he walked back over to the bags. He opened Double D's backpack and rummaged around a bit. He pulled out a potion, pulled off the cap, and handed it to Charmeleon. He held it unsteadily, as his clawed paws were not will suited to holding fragile objects. "Drink that."

Charmeleon downed the potion in one go. He grimaced as the potion took effect. (That's never pleasant. Couldn't they even try to at least make the stuff taste good?)

Eddy had gone back to rummaging around in Double D's backpack. "Where is the stupid thing?" He grumbled. "AHA!" He pulled out a small plastic box that had 'Pokémon Revival Medicine' printed on the lid. He popped the lid off and pulled out a yellow, diamond shaped object. "Lets see if I remember how to do this." He pulled out Luxio's Poké Ball and held the object to the Poké Ball's release button. The Poké Ball partially opened and the object was sucked into the Poké Ball in a flash of light. Eddy whipped his hand back as if he'd just touch a hot iron. "Crap! He didn't mention that." He growled. The release button glowed white for a few seconds before returning to normal. "Alright, lets see if that worked." He opened the Poké Ball and a very sore and tired Luxio appeared.

(Ow.) Luxio moaned.

(What happened to you brother?) Charmeleon asked, sitting down next to Luxio.

(That stupid mole thing happened.) Luxio groaned. (It kicked my ass.)

Charmeleon gave him a consoling pat on the back. (Don't worry about it. These things happen to the best of us.)

(It's not my pride I'm worried about.) Luxio grunted. (I don't know if you know this but being knocked out hurts a lot! And while we at it, being revived is no picnic either.) Eddy, meanwhile, had pulled out another potion and proffered it to Luxio. He drink it and shuddered as it took effect. (That's stuff is horrible.)

(Agreed.) Charmeleon nodded. (He caught that pokémon, by the way.)

Luxio shrugged. (So? You beat me too a pulp and I don't have a problem with you.)

(I suppose you're right.) Charmeleon sighed. (But it is going to be hard to get used to.)

"Help!" Ed shouted again, _still_ stuck in the ceiling. "I want down Eddy!"

"I don't see why you have a problem." Eddy snickered back. "You said bats were cool, and now you're getting to hang around like a bat. I thought you'd have liked that."

"That's not funny Eddy!" Ed whined. "Please get me down! Please!"

"Alright, alright." Eddy relented. "I'll help. Can you reach your Poké Balls?"

"Yup." Ed replied, reaching around in his pocket.

"Then send out your Ivysaur so he can help pull you out!" Eddy shouted back. Since he couldn't see, Ed ended up just flailing out every Poké Ball that were in his pockets. The empty balls hit the floor without effect. Meanwhile, with three consecutive flashes, Ivysaur, Stantler, and Drifloon appeared in the tunnel.

(Oh great.) Ivysaur groaned. (What's he gone and done this time?)

(I'm not even going to bother to ask.) Stantler sighed. (It'll probably be something stupid.)

(Does this happen a lot?) Drifloon asked.

(If you mean general strangeness, then yes.) Stantler answered. (If you mean getting his head stuck in a roof? This is a first.)

"Can you use your vines to help get him down?" Eddy asked Ivysaur. Normally, owned pokémon will only obey the orders of their trainer. However, this is not an absolute, binding rule of nature. Pokémon in general are more than smart enough to recognize situations where obeying the orders of someone other than their trainer is a good idea. This is especially true if the trainer is incapacitated in some fashion, or the person is a relative or close friend of the trainer. This situation very much fit into both of those categories.

(I can try.) Ivysaur said. Two vines snaked out of the plant on his back and wrapped themselves around Ed's legs. (Can you guys help me pull?) He asked Stantler and Drifloon.

(Sure!) Drifloon cried happily as she grabbed onto one of the vines.

(How can I?) Stantler snorted. (I don't have any arms!) In response to this, two more vines shot out from Ivysaur and wrapped around Stantler's midsection like the tack for a wagon. (Yeah, I suppose that will work.)

(Alright.) Ivysaur grunted, readying himself for the pull. (On the count of three. One, two, HEAVE!) Ivysaur pulled hard on Ed while Stantler added his strength to the effort. Drifloon tried to contribute, however, having very little strength or much mass, didn't have much effect. Ed himself was also trying to help, bracing his hands against the ceiling and pushing hard.

"Argh! Gentle guys!" Ed shouted. "That hurts!"

"Pull harder!" Eddy shouted. Slowly, but surely, Ed's head began to inch out of the hole he had created in the ceiling. Eventuality, after a minute of hard effort, Ed's had been removed to the point were his face was visible and only his forehead on up was still stuck. "Come on you guys! He's almost out!" Eddy encouraged. He even reached up, grabbed Ed around the waist, and added his own strength to the effort.

(One more pull!) Ivysaur growled from the effort. Suddenly, all at once, the pressure keeping Ed's head in the ceiling gave way and his head came free. He slammed into the floor, smashing Eddy under him. With the resistance suddenly gone, Stantler shot forward only to immediately trip on a rock and fall flat on his face. Ivysaur smashing into Stantler and the two immediately became entangled in Ivysaur's vines. Drifloon, still holding the vine, was slammed into the floor. She then bounced back up, cartwheeling into the air.

(Well that could have gone better.) Charmeleon commented dryly.

(You can say that again.) Luxio laughed. (But it was funny though.)

Ed sat up, brushing dust and dirt from his face. "Thanks guys!" He said happily.

(Your welcome!) Drifloon replied with equal happiness. She floated over to Ed and embraced his head in an enthusiastic hug.

"D'aw!" Ed crooned, hugging Drifloon back. "Hugs for my monster balloon friend!"

(Hey! Can you two give us a hand here!) Stantler shouted. He was thrashing about, trying to disentangle himself from Ivysaur's vines. The only thing he achieved, however, was to make the tangle even more of a mess.

(Well, if you stop thrashing about I'll be able to fix this mess!) Ivysaur roared in frustration. (You're only making it worse! Just stay still and I'll be able to get us out!)

"Oh! I can help!" Ed proclaimed as he lunged headlong into the snarl.

(No!)

(Wait! Not you! You're making it worse!)

Luxio laughed his head off at the ensuing spectacle. Charmeleon, meanwhile, had walked over to where Ed had landed. Eddy, looking slightly squashed, was laying on his back in the slight depression that had been made when Ed was slammed into the ground. He was glaring up at the ceiling, anger and bemusement fighting for dominance in his expression. Charmelon bent over Eddy and gave him a gentle poke in the arm with one of his claws. (Do you need help?)

"I'm gonna get him for this." Eddy mumbled dazedly. He looked up at Charmeleon. "Charmeleon, next time I offer to help Ed remind me _not to do it_!"

Charmeleon nodded in apparent agreement. He then said, knowing full well that Eddy couldn't understand him, was (No, I won't. I really don't think it'll help much anyway.)

* * *

 **New Greenvale Town**

The cul-de-sac trio, after several battles with wild pokémon and a few trainers, had arrived in New Greenvale Town. The trio had been delayed for a few minutes upon entering the town on account of Rolf. "It reminds the Son of a Shepard of his home in the Old Country!" He marveled as he stared at the older style construction of most of the buildings that made up the town. He then proceeded to ramble on about the Old Country and his memories of it. Nazz pretended to be interested while Kevin, true to form on the subject, didn't even bother. After a solid ten minutes of remembrances, Kevin had broken him out of his reverie by throwing a dirt clod at him. He had then rushed the two to the Pokémon Center before Rolf could get distracted again. After getting their pokémon healed, the group had settled down in a small dinning room for dinner.

"We're going to have to stay here for the night." Kevin said after finishing his meal. "We can't go any further today."

"The Son of a Shepard says we should continue on." Rolf declared. He gestured out a nearby window. "We still have an hour or two of sunlight left."

"Not enough." Kevin responded. "To get to Westerway City, we need to pass through the Greenspur Forest. It's too far to go before dark and, according to the guide, camping in the forest is illegal."

"I see." Rolf sighed. "Rolf would never suggest that we so needlessly flout the laws of statesmen."

"Well, that settles it." Nazz concluded. "Is there anything to do around here to pass the time?"

Kevin shook his head. "Not that I know of. You're just going to have to find a way to entertain yourself." He shrugged apologetically. "For what it's worth, I was going to go back to Route 1 and do some more training."

"Rolf will do so as well." Rolf added. "Perhaps Rolf shall even add to his herd while he's at it."

"I suppose I'll do that as well." Nazz mused. What she really wanted to do, however, was sit down and take a good long rest. The almost day's worth of walking had taken a lot out of her, though she'd never admit it to Kevin or Rolf. Those two looked as if the day's exertions were nothing more that a pleasant stroll down the lane. It wasn't that she was lazy or weak; it was more a matter of the fact that Kevin was an athlete and Rolf was accustomed to hard labor. She was neither. _'I'm just going to have to get used to it.'_ She thought to herself. After finishing their meals, they retrieved their pokémon and made to leave. As they were leaving, Nazz noticed a poster tacked to a notice board. On an impulse, she separated from Rolf and Kevin and walked over to the notice board to read it.

'WANTED. A RESPONSIBLE TRAINER.' She read. 'An elderly woman has recently come into the possession of a pokémon egg. She is currently unable to provide the care and attention that such a pokémon would need as is looking for a trainer to take it in. Applicants please apply at 18 St. Wardson Street. Ask for Mrs. Vera Bellerose.'

"That only got put up this morning." The Nurse joy commented from the from the front desk. "There's a good chance that she still has it if you're interested."

"Yes." Nazz responded thoughtfully. "I think I will."

"Great. I hope you get it." Nurse Joy smiled brightly. "It will be a great relief for Mrs. Bellerose. She's been very stressed out by this whole situation."

"Would it really be that difficult for her to raise?" Nazz asked, a bit shocked.

"For Mrs. Bellerose yes." Nurse Joy sighed. "You see, raising newly hatched pokémon is not an old person's game. It's like raising a toddler; you need lots of energy and mobility to handle it. As you've probably already guessed, Mrs. Bellerose has none of those things. She's an elderly lady who is currently enjoying a well deserved retirement. These aren't problems she should be dealing with!"

"With all due respect." Nazz said, picking her words carefully. "Why did she take on that responsibility if she wasn't capable of handling it?"

Nurse Joy frowned. "She didn't. That no-good grandson of hers dumped it on her. I swear, I'll never understand how such thoughtful and respectful person as Mrs Bellerose is related to such a bum."

"I see." Nazz muttered. "So where can I find 18 St. Wardon Street?"

"Oh, its simple." Nurse Joy answered. "Just go back down the road towards Route 1. Once you get to the last cross street before Route 1, turn right. That will be St. Wardon Street. Number 18 will the most modern looking house on the street; you can't miss it." Twenty minutes later, Nazz found herself standing in front of the house described though she had some doubts about what the Nurse Joy would consider modern. The surrounding house looked as if they had been built at the turn of the century before the last one. This house looked as if it had only been built something around seventy years ago. The house had two stories and was rectangular in shape. There was a small front yard with a short stone path leading to a small porch and the front door. The house had a gray stone siding and a roof covered with light brown roof tiling. The front of the house had four windows, two on the first floor and two on the second floor. The property was surround by a small metal fence. This was a small sign bolted to the gate that read '#18, The Medium House.'

"What the heck does that mean by 'Medium House'?" Nazz muttered. "Either way, this is the place." Stepping through the open gate, Nazz walked up to house and rang the door. She waited for a good minute before the door swung open and an old woman stepped out onto the porch. The woman looked to be something in her seventies, possible even eighties. The woman was wearing an old looking green sweater and blue jeans. She leaned on an elegant, wooden cane as she adjusted her glasses and peered around, apparently not seeing Nazz.

"Hello?" She asked. "Is any one there?"

Nazz, who had stepped aside to avoid the outward swing door, stepped out in front of the elderly lady. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Bellerose." She said respectfully. "My name is Nazz and…."

"Aha, hello young lady!" Mrs. Bellerose interrupted, seeing Nazz for the first time. "It's a wonderful evening isn't? You wouldn't happen to be here about my notice, would you?"

"Yes, I…."

"Wonderful! Come in, come in. I just took some tea off the burner." Mrs. Bellerose ushered Nazz into her house. The interior of the house was surprisingly bare, or at least as compared to her experiences with the living spaces of elderly people. There were only two pictures on the walls; one of a young couple and one of that same couple with three children of various ages. The living room that Mrs. Bellerose lead Nazz to had three bits of furniture. There were two stuffed armchairs that sat on either end of a long table. At one end of the table sat a still steaming teapot and a cup and saucer. There was the faint smell of cleaning products in the air, which probably explained why the room seemed so barren. "You'll have to forgive the state of this place." Mrs. Bellerose said as she gestured for Nazz to sit down in one of the armchairs. "I've been having some cleaning done and I haven't gotten around to getting everything put back into place yet. Tea?"

"Yes please." Nazz replied, trying to get comfortable in the armchair.

Mrs. Bellerose smiled and looked towards another room, which Nazz assumed to be the kitchen. "A cup for one more, if you would?" Nazz was astonished to see a cup and saucer float through the air out of the kitchen and towards the table. Then the teapot rose into the air and filled the cup with tea. The teapot then returned to its place on the table and the cup floated over towards Nazz. The cup then placed itself down on the table in front of Nazz.

Nazz stared at the cup for a moment, then looked up at Mrs. Bellerose. "What?"

Bellerose sighed. "Gengar," She scolded, apparently into empty air. "How many times have I told you not to do that when we have guests?" There was a noise that sounded like a chuckle and something appeared next to Mrs. Bellerose. The pokémon, for that's what it had to be, had a body that was large, round, and uniformly dark purple. It had a pair of short arms and legs that ended in three digit hands and feet. The pokémon also had a short, stubby tail. It had two pointed ears and a series of short spikes running down its face. It had two large, red eyes and a large mouth that was curled up in a very sinister looking grin.

"What the heck is that?" Nazz asked aloud as she pulled out her Pokédex.

"Gengar, the Shadow Pokémon." It said. "It hides in the shadows. It is said that if Gengar is hiding, it cools the area by nearly 10 degrees Fahrenheit."

"Oh, a Pokédex!" Mrs. Bellerose commented. "That confirms that you're a trainer at least."

"Yes," Nazz nodded. "Though I'm very new at it." Nazz then proceeded to explain how she had been completely ignorant of pokémon up until a few days ago.

"Oh, yes. I see." Mrs Bellerose said as she took a sip of tea. "I've heard of places were there are few to no pokémon occurring naturally. I haven't been to any of those places but I've met some people who have. It must be quite the shock."

"It is." Nazz replied, taking a sip of the tea herself. She had never had tea before, but so far as she could tell it was pretty good. "It makes me feel like I've been living under a rock for most of my life. It's kind of daunting."

"Oh, don't worry about it dear." Mrs. Bellerose encouraged, smiling brightly. "You'll get the hang of it soon enough. After all, culture shock is part of the fun of leaving home. Now, how many pokémon do you have?"

"Just one. My starter Snivy." Nazz answered.

"Hm." Mrs. Bellerose mused. She turned to the Gengar. "Can you bring in the egg please?" Gengar nodded, then vanished. After a few seconds, a large purple egg and stand floated into the room and landed on the table. "Gengar." Bellerose admonished. The Gengar reappeared, giggling like naughty child. "Now, this is the egg in question."

"Can I hold it?" Nazz asked.

Bellerose smiled. "Yes, you may."

Nazz stood up and walked over to the egg. With extreme care, she picked up the egg. "Whoa!" She gasped. "It's really hot! Is that normal?"

"It's nothing to worry about deary." Mrs. Bellerose laughed. "That's a good sign, in fact. It means that the egg is about to hatch."

"Really?"

"Yes, it's perfectly normal." Mrs. Bellerose reassured as she got up from her chair. "Now, I do have a bit of a test for before I decide to let you have the egg."

"Let me guess. A battle, right?" Nazz asked.

Mrs. Bellerose laughed. "Not exactly a shock twist is it? Yes, I like to battle you if your pokémon is up for it."

"Oh sure." Nazz said. "I had her healed before I came." She then shot a look at the Gengar. "Though I'm not sure if we can take on him though."

"Oh no, not him." Mrs. Bellerose laughed again. "He's way to powerful for an amateur trainer. At the risk of tooting my own horn, I dare say he'd even gave many experienced trainers a run for their money. No, I'll be using a pokémon more suited towards a starting trainer. If you'll follow me out back we can have our battle there." Nazz followed Mrs. Bellerose through her house and out onto her back porch. Her backyard was closed in by the metal fence, but there was plenty of room for a decent battle provided things didn't get to crazy. "Would it be okay if I took right position?"

"Right position?" Nazz asked. "You mean the right end of the field?"

"That's correct." Mrs. Bellerose said a bit sheepishly. "Sorry, it's just that in my day we referred to those places as left and right position. They're not nearly so formal now a days."

"Oh." Nazz shrugged. "Does it really matter?"

"Not in the slightest." Mrs. Bellerose replied. "I just like that spot."

"Then go right on ahead." The two trainers took up their positions; Nazz on the left and Mrs. Bellerose on the right. "You're up again Snivy." Nazz said as she sent out Snivy.

(We're really hitting the ground running, aren't we?) Snivy sighed as she appeared. (I thought we were done for the day. No rest for the weary, I suppose.)

Mrs. Bellerose pulled out a Poké Ball and sent out the pokémon within. "I'm sorry to bother you so late in the day, but we've got a battle we need to do." The pokémon that appeared had the form of a small, black sphere surrounded by a purplish haze. It had two large eyes and a large mouth with two prominent fangs.

(It's not a problem.) The pokémon remarked as it appeared. (I am a ghost type after all. The nighttime is my time of the day after all.)

Nazz whipped out her Pokédex and scanned the pokémon. "Gastly, the Gas Pokémon. Poisonous gas comprises 95% of its body. It is said that the remaining 5% is made up of the souls of those who died from the gas."

"Well, that's more than a bit morbid." Nazz muttered under her breath.

"Gastly, lets start off with Hypnosis!" Mrs. Bellerose commanded. Gastly's eyes widened and began to glow a bright red.

"Don't look at Snivy!" Nazz shouted. While she didn't know what the attack Hypnosis did, she did know enough about the concept to reasonably guess that it would be something bad.

(I can't.) Snivy said, her eyes starting to glow the same bright red as Gastly's. She then started to sway, struggling to stay standing. (What….going…..on?) She slurred. (I feel so….sleepy.)

"Use Vine Whip!" Nazz ordered. Snivy fell over on its face, then two vines shot out of its back. The first vine smacked the Gastly, sending it spinning through the air. Then the second vine grabbed the Gastly and slammed it into the ground. However, instead of hitting the ground the Gastly vanished.

(That jerk.) Snivy growled as she got back to her feet. (He almost got me then. Now, where did he go?) She looked around for her vanished opponent.

"Gastly, use Lick." Mrs. Bellerose directed. Suddenly, the Gastly appeared right behind Snivy. It stuck out a massive pink tongue and licked Snivy's back from the base of her tail to the back of her head.

(Yuk!) Snivy screeched as she jumped away. (Disgusting!) The Gastly giggled in response.

"Hit it with another Vine Whipe Snivy!" Nazz shouted. The vine shot out from Snivy again smacked Gastly with a loud whip _crack_. The impact sent the Gastly cartwheeling through the air for a second time. Snivy swung at her second vine at where Gastly had been only to hit nothing. Snivy braced herself, trying to anticipate where the Gastly would pop up next. Suddenly, the Gastly appeared right in front of Snivy and, before she could try to dodge the attack, licked her.

(Argh!) Snivy spluttered, stumbling backwards. (That's horrible!)

"Use Vine Whip again!" Nazz commanded again. The two vines shot out from Snivy again and slammed into Gastly, catching Gastly between the two like a vice. The Gastly was stuck between the two vines for a moment then slid out from between them as if its body had become gelatinous. As if to reinforce this perception, the Gastly's body, such as it was, actually pooled on the ground like it was liquid.

(Ow.) Gastly groaned.

"I think that's enough I think." Mrs. Bellerose said, returning the Gastly. "You did a good job Gastly. You take a good rest."

"Are pokémon battles always this short?" Nazz asked, returning her cringing Snivy.

"When you're starting out, yes." Mrs. Bellerose responded. "Once you're pokémon grow stronger and learn more moves the battles will slow down a bit." Suddenly, her Gengar shot out of the house, followed by the now glowing egg. The two came to a stop in front of Mrs. Bellerose and Gengar gestured excitedly at the egg.

"Oh my! The egg is hatching!" Mrs. Bellerose cried out happily. "Quickly young lady, take the egg in your arms!"

The glowing egg floated towards Nazz, who stepped forward and took the egg. The egg's surface had gotten hotter, which made holding it more than just a bit uncomfortable. Unlike when she had held it before, the surface of the egg was pulsing and undulating under her touch. "Is this safe?" She asked.

"Oh, yes it is." Mrs. Bellerose reassured. "It actually quite normal for trainers to hold eggs as they hatch." The egg pulsed brightly and the light shattered as if it were an actual eggshell. The still glowing mass that was left then began to to morph into the shape of a pokémon. It wasn't until the newly hatched pokémon had stopped glowing before Nazz was able to get a good look at it. The pokémon had no arms or legs. It had a large head with a flowing mane of what appeared to be hair. It had a pair of bright red eyes that had yellow sclerae. The pokémon's neck was inlaid with a ring of red gems that ran around the circumference of its neck. The lower half of the pokémon resembled a ruffled style of dress. The pokémon's body was a dark bluish-green color with the exception of lilac colored spots of the tips of its hair.

The pokémon yawned, then looked up at Nazz with sleep blurred eyes. (Mommy?) The pokémon muttered sleepily. It yawned again, snuggled up against Nazz, and fell asleep.

"Oh, a Misdreavus." Mrs. Bellerose mused. "I suspected that that's what was in the egg."

Nazz gently cradled the pokémon in one arm while she pulled out her Pokédex again and scanned it. "Misdreavus, the Screech Pokémon." It said. "Misdreavus frightens people with a creepy, sobbing cry. The pokémon apparently uses its red spheres to absorb the fearful feelings of foes and turn them into nutrition."

"Okay." Nazz muttered incredulously. "Is this going to be safe to have?"

"Of course it will dear." Mrs. Bellerose reassured. "Misdreavus are perfectly harmless towards humans. They usually don't do their feeling absorption ability on humans."

"Usually?"

Mrs. Bellerose laughed. "I'm joking. Misdreavus attacks on humans are fairly rare and almost unheard of if the human is its trainer. Even if it ever did absorb your fear, it's completely harmless. Having been on the receiving end of that process myself, I can say that with complete confidence."

"Oh, alright." Nazz replied, looking back down at the sleeping pokémon in her arms. "I still need to catch it right?"

"Of course," Mrs. Bellerose said. "Though, newly hatched pokémon don't really try all that hard to break out when you try to catch them." Nazz pulled out one of her empty Poké Balls and gently tapped it against the sleeping Misdreavus. The Misdreavus disappeared in a flash of light and the Poké Ball clicked without even shaking.

"Is there anything specific to baby pokémon that I should do now?" Nazz asked.

"You should take him to the Pokémon Center and get him a checkup as soon as possible." Mrs. Bellerose advised. "Not that I think anything is wrong with him, it's just a good idea to make sure that there aren't any complications that need to be dealt with."

"Does that happen a lot?" Nazz asked, concern creeping into her mind.

"It's not a common occurrence," Mrs Bellerose said after a moment's hesitation. "But it's not rare either. It's kind of comparable to what happens with human births. The majority of babies born are fine and healthy. However, there always those cases where there have been….complications." She paused at that, a far away look coming into her eyes. She was silent for a moment before shaking her head and continuing. "It's simply a matter of being safe than sorry. Aside from that, there's really nothing other than the usual things that you need to do. He'll probably be monstrously hungry in the morning though. Also, you're going to need to be very careful when you're training him. Pokémon that are newly hatched tend to be fragile, lets say. He'll grow out of it soon enough, but it would be a good idea not to have him battle on his own for a while."

Nazz nodded. "I'll be sure to do that."

"Good." Mrs. Bellerose smiled. By now, the sun had mostly set and the yard lights had flicked on. She looked at her watch and sighed. "I hate to be rude, but I have to turn in early tonight."

"Oh no." Nazz reassured hurriedly. "It's no problem. If anything, I should be apologizing for showing up so late in the day."

"Perhaps," Mrs. Bellerose mused. "But I'd think it would be fair to say that you came at the right time." They stepped back into the house and Mrs. Bellerose escorted Nazz back to the front door. "Oh, one more thing before you go." She turned to Gengar. "Could you fetch the Dusk Stone please?"

"What's a Dusk Stone?" Nazz asked as Gengar disappeared again.

"Its an evolutionary stone." Upon seeing Nazz's confused expression, Mrs. Bellerose elaborated. "Evolutionary stones are rocks that radiate an energy that can cause certain pokémon to evolve when they are exposed to it."

"Really? You can make pokémon evolve by touching it with a stone?" Nazz asked.

"Only some." Mrs. Bellerose clarified. "Only a few when compared to the total number of known pokémon." The Gengar reappeared next to Mrs. Bellerose hold a small dark purple stone.. "Thank you Gengar." She took the stone from Gengar and handed it to Nazz. "This is a Dusk Stone and you can use it to evolve your Misdreavus. I want to you to take it with you."

"No, I couldn't." Nazz said, trying to give it back. "You've already given me a pokémon. I couldn't take any more from you."

"I insist dear." Mrs Bellerose replied, refusing to take back the stone. "I don't have any use for it and I'd prefer for _someone_ to use it rather than let it gather dust in a drawer."

"Alright then." Nazz conceded, sticking the stone in her pocket. "So when should I use it to evolve Misdreavus?"

"Not for a long while yet." Mrs. Bellerose advised. "Misdreavus will learn several moves that its evolution won't learn. Besides, you're going to want to get the experience with Misdreavus first before trying to deal with its evolution. Pokémon like that can be a bit hard to handle."

"Okay then." Nazz said, stepping out the door. "Have a good evening, and thank you for your advice and gifts."

"It was my pleasure dear." Mrs. Bellerose smiled. "And you have a good time on your journey." Nazz smiled back, waved goodbye, and walked away into the gathering gloom. "Oh, to be young again!" Mrs. Bellerose laughed as she closed the door. She walked over to one the chairs and collapsed into it. "It would be nice to go on at least one more adventure, wouldn't it Gengar?"

Gengar nodded solemnly. (I have those same thoughts from time to time.)

Mrs. Bellerose sighed. "It's not any fun being old." Suddenly, the phone rang. "Oh dear, who could that be?" The phone lifted off its receiver and floated over towards Mrs. Bellerose. "Thank you Gengar." Mrs. Bellerose said as she took the phone. "Hello?" She gasped when she heard who was on the other end. "Good god! Were you trying to give me a heart attack? You and yours up and disappear for months without explanation and now you just call me out of the blue! What on earth is going on?" The caller talked for few minutes. "Yes, that would be a good reason to go to ground." The caller continued for another few minutes. "Yes, of course I'll help. I'll just need some time to get things moving." The caller asked another question. "Sure you can use it. You remember where the key is right?" The caller answered in the affirmative then said something else. "I'll be able to meet you there in a few days or so. Call me if anything comes up before then." She hung up and let out a long, shuddering sigh.

Gengar gave her a look that was equal parts concerned and quizzical. (What was that about?)

"Willie and his brood are in trouble." Mrs. Bellerose said, as if she understood what Gengar had said. "Some serious trouble. Be a dear and fetch my little number book would you? I have some calls I need to make."

* * *

 **Churn Tunnel**

"Really? There's no pokémon were you boys live?" The Eds and Dean had found a small cavern that branched off from the tunnel and decided to camp there for the night. Judging from some trash they found, previous travelers had had the same idea. The only natural source of light in the cavern was a small beam of moonlight that shone in through a crack in the ceiling so they had set up a few lanterns to provide more light. They had also set up an electric burner with which they had cooked their dinner of canned food. Eddy, Ed, and Dean were currently sitting around one of the larger lanterns while Double D was cleaning up the aftermath of their meal. "I'd heard such places existed but I never thought they were real."

"Yea know, I keep hearing that a lot." Eddy said, trying to find a comfortable position on the rock he was leaning against. "Is it really that weird?"

"Well, yes." Dean replied, his tone suggesting that the concept was so blatantly obvious that it didn't need to be asked about. "Pokémon are so ubiquitous that I suppose no one ever really thinks about them not being there."

"Ubiquitous?" Eddy groaned. "We've already got one guy who uses big words! We don't need another one!"

"I meant that pokémon are incredibly common." Dean sighed in exasperation at Eddy's rudeness.

"Like gravy?" Ed asked. He was currently laying flat on his back on the stone ground and apparently unperturbed by its uncomfortableness. He had been reading a comic book, or at least Eddy assumed he actually read the things. He sometimes found himself wondering whether not Ed just looked at the pictures and guessed at what was going on. He leaning towards the latter now, since he could apparently focus on the comic book and follow their conversation with his single digit I. all at the same time.

"Ignore him." Eddy said in response to Dean's confused look. "How is it that surprising? Doesn't you're Pokémon Professor specialize in that sort of thing?"

"You mean Hornbeam?" Dean asked. "Is that why he's out of the region so much?"

"He said that his specialization was introducing pokémon to people who lived in areas of the world that did not have naturally occurring pokémon." Double D put in as he finished up his chores. "I suppose that a profession like that would take him abroad fairly often."

"Really? I supposed that would explain it." Dean pondered aloud, then shrugged. "Truth of the matter is no one pays much attention to Anthony Hornbeam or his sister. In point of fact, there are some who are lobbying the league to get him removed."

"Removed? As a professor?" Eddy asked. "I didn't think you could do that."

"No, the league can't take away his credentials as a Pokémon Professor. That's an academic thing and completely separate from the league itself." Dean explained. "What I meant was that there are people who are trying to get him removed as the Regional Pokémon Professor, which is a position within the Pokémon League."

"Wait, what's the difference?" Eddy asked.

"Well, like I said a Regional Pokémon Professor is employed directly by the Pokémon League." Dean continued. "As I suspect you already know, part of their job is to hand out starter pokémon and register trainers for their league. Another part of their job is to act as the face of their league. They're supposed to travel about their region, especially between seasons, and promote the league, participation in said league, and lead fund raising efforts. The problem that a lot people have with Hornbeam is that he really doesn't do any of that. He spends most of his time in outside of Dentor and leaves most of his duties to his sister. Then there is the mess of how he even got the job in the first place."

"A mess?" Eddy scoffed. "How do you screw up hiring some overpriced smartypants?"

"And what would a kid know about hiring processes for major organizations in the public spotlight?" Dean snapped back. "They can't just hire _anyone,_ especially if that person is supposed to act as their public face!" Seeing that Eddy was unconvinced, he sighed in frustration and continued. "Look, the problem was not with what the league did but with the applicants. The previous Regional Professor for Dentor had to retire abruptly after an accident where he ended up on the wrong end of a very angry Tauros. To make things worse, this happened with about a month before the league's season started so they had to scramble to find a replacement."

"How could that have hard?" Eddy asked. "By the sound of it, there sure a bunch of pokémon professors banging about."

"There are." Dean shot back. "But not many of them want to be a Regional Professor. As you would expect, people who become pokémon professors are the academic types and the obligations of being a Regional Professor really limit the time available for academic pursuits. So when the Dentor League put out the call for a replacement, there were only three applicants; Professor Hornbeam and two other gentlemen. Hornbeam was fairly new to his pokémon professorship at the time so the league focused on the other two. Unfortunately for the league, it didn't take much checking of these two before some serious problems cropped up. One applicant had been accused of embezzling funds from a university in Unova and actually spent some time in jail. The other applicant was discovered to have plagiarized a lot of his work and was completely discredited. In the end, they had to hire Hornbeam."

"So then why haven't they hired someone else?" Eddy asked.

"That sort of thing is never simple Eddy." Double D admonished. He had finished the cleaning and joined the group. "Would I be correct in assuming that the conditions of his employment make it rather difficult to fire him for his current behavior?"

"That, and the fact that so far the league hasn't found a replacement for him yet." Dean confirmed. "There are some rumors going around that after this season is over Anthony while step down and the league is going to let Maria replace him. She's pretty much the Regional Professor in all but name so it makes sense just to hire her on but people are still unhappy about."

"But why?" Ed asked, his comic now resting on his face. "The knowledge lady was nice."

"Knowledge lady?" Dean asked. "You mean Maria Hornbeam?"

"Yes, that's who he means." Double D said with a long suffering sigh.

"Oh, well it's not that people have a problem with Maria Hornbeam herself." Dean explained. "Its the idea of the job being handed from one sibling to another. It smacks of nepotism to a lot of people."

"Nepotism?" Ed and Eddy both asked.

"He means favoritism." Double D elaborated. "That she'd only get the job because the current Regional Professor was her brother."

"It wouldn't be anything like that of course." Dean continued. "Like I said, it's not like they've got any other options at the moment. But there are always some people who don't do their research and jump to conclusions. But like I said, it's just a rumor. They might do that or they might do something else. Who knows?"

"Well it's not going to matter to us in the long run at any rate." Eddy yawned. Without ceremony or further comment, he moved away from the group to find a comfortable place to sleep.

"So, um, how much surveying do you have to do after this?" Double D asked, attempting to fill the awkward silence.

"We've got two places to do." Dean replied. "Well, actually it's more like do one and try another."

"What do mean by that?"

"What I mean is that there is one place we are going to survey for certain." Dean explained. "There is a mountain called Crisp Peak. As the name would suggest, it is home to a vast variety of fire type pokémon. My boss's surveys haven't really covered many fire pokémon so we intend to swing by there to check off that box. The other place that my boss wants to do is going to be more of a problem."

"How so?" Double D asked.

"It's a place called Ruotter's Island and it has an _interesting reputation_." Dean said slowly.

"Interesting reputation?" Double D repeated questioningly.

"Yes." Dean continued. "Ruotter's Island has some rather noteworthy archeological sites. There several ruins of villages that have been built just off the island. By that, I mean that these villages were built entirely on the water. These were stone, and possibly wood, buildings built on large stone pilings in the shallow waters around the island. There is absolutely nothing built on the island so far as anyone can tell."

"Really, an entire population of an island living on the water and not on the island?" Double D pondered. "Now that is an interesting conundrum." He continued to ponder the question before something Dean had said interposed itself on his thoughts. "Wait, what do you mean be 'so far as anyone can tell'?"

"Now, that's where the _interesting reputation_ comes in." Dean chuckled. "So far as anyone knows, no one has been further on the island than a bit past the shoreline."

"Really?" Double D asked. "Why?"

"Because there's something about that island that scares the crap out of anything that sets foot on it." Dean explained.

"What?"

"I really can't explain it any better than that." Dean shrugged. "I been there once before so I can attest to this fact. You get this strange forbidding feeling just by setting foot on the beach! It's like knowing on a subconscious level that some beast is about to jump out at you and rip you to pieces without your conscious mind being able to recognize it. It can get really disorientating. Then that feeling only gets worse the further inland you go. There was a guy with me who went further than I did and he came running back to the boat screaming bloody murder. The guy was completely insensible for a good ten minutes and nothing even happened to him."

"Intriguing." Double D commented. "Could a pokémon possibly be the cause of this strange phenomenon?"

"Anywhere else, that would probably be the case." Dean replied. "However, the island freaks out pokémon more than it does humans. They won't go anywhere near the place! Even Ghost and Dark types steer clear of the place and that's saying something! Anything that scares them is something best kept as far away as possible from."

"Then why are you even going?" Double D asked.

"I have no idea." Dean admitted. "I suspect that my boss just wants to go to experience the creepiness of the island."

"I see." Double D muttered.

"Sounds like fun!" Ed added. "Can we go there some time?"

"I doubt it." Double D answered.

"Oh no, you can." Dean put in. "The place is open to the public. It's actually quite a popular tourist attraction. The only problem is that the only way to get there easily is to take a ferry from a place called South Beach Landing. To get to South Beach Landing, you have to get to Frontford City which is the home of the 8th Gym. So for people doing a league run like yourselves, it going to be quite a long while before you can get the chance to go to Ruotter's Island."

"Aw…." Ed moan in disappointment.

Meanwhile, the group's pokémon had been sitting in two groups in one corner of the cavern. One group consisted of the Ed's pokémon while Dean's Mudsdale and Noibat where sitting off in there own group. They had finished eating and the pokémon were talking amongst themselves. Ed's pokémon, save Ivysaur, had been throwing Eddy's Drilbur dirty looks ever since the set loose from their Poké Balls. Eventually losing patience, she growled, (What's wrong you guys?)

(We don't like you.) Drifloon growled, or at least tried to. It came out as more of a slightly low-pitched squeaking than anything remotely resembling a growl.

(Why?) Drilbur asked defensively.

(You attacked our trainer.) Stantler put in darkly.

(I didn't attack him!) Drilbur shouted. (I just poked him once or twice, that's all.)

(You did more than that!) Stantler shot back. (His head was stuck in the ceiling!)

(I didn't do that!) Drilbur defended. (He did that himself!)

(She's telling the truth about that.) Charmeleon added, joining the argument. (However, I would like to put out that he wouldn't have done that if you hadn't poked him.)

(It still wasn't my fault. Heck, I didn't even poke him that hard. He only ended up stuck in the ceiling because he overreacted.) Drilbur huffed. Stantler and Drifloon, unconvinced, continued to glare at her.

(Lay off her guys.) Ivysaur sighed as he settled down to sleep. (It's not like either of you two hold the moral high ground on that score.)

(What do you mean?) Drifloon asked, rounding angrily on Ivysaur.

(You two have attacked him at one point or another.) Ivysaur argued. (Stantler chased him up a tree and you tried to kidnap him, or whatever it was you were trying to do. In point of fact, out of the three of us I'm the only one who _hasn't_ attacked our trainer!)

There was a moment of awkward silence. (You know, he's got a point.) Stantler admitted, giving Drifloon a sheepish smile.

(I still don't like her.) Drifloon huffed.

(Well, that's your prerogative.) Ivysaur yawned as he made himself as comfortable as he could on the stone ground. (Just don't be too loud about it.)

Drifloon turned to Stantler in confusion. (What's prerogative mean?)

(I haven't got a clue.) Stantler replied, approximating a shrug.

(Argh! I hate it in here!) Pidgey growled. He was laying full length on the ground, his wings covering his head. (I hate it! I hate it! I hate it!)

(You don't say?) Wartortle asked sarcastically. (I really didn't catch that the first ten times you said that.)

(Shut up.) Pidgey snapped back.

(Oh calm down. It's not that bad.) Wartortle was beginning to run out of patience. Then he had a thought. (Are you claustrophobic, by any chance?)

(Claustrophobic?)

(It means to have an extreme or irrational fear of closed in or confined spaces.)

(Of course not!) Pidgey proclaimed, his usual arrogance returning. (A Pidgey with the superior breeding as I possess would not be afflicted by such a weakness of character! My objection is purely on the matter of principle! Caves are not an appropriate place for any flying creature! It would be like you hanging around in a desert!)

(The Zubat handle it just fine.) Wartortle commented.

(If you could call what they do flying.) Pidgey sniffed. (It's more like frantic flopping about if you ask me! Winged rats are what they really are!)

(Yeah whatever.) Wartortle sighed, with drawing into his shell. (Just keep your superiority complex quiet if you would?)

(Hmph.) Pidgey snorted.

Drilbur, meanwhile, had been scratching around at the floor. After a few minutes, she found a patch that was soil instead of stone. She then started digging into the ground. (What are you doing?) Luxio asked.

(I like sleeping underground.) Drilbur replied, her voice muffled as her head was now in the hole. (I feel more comfortable that way than sleeping out in the open.) Drilbur disappeared into the ground leaving a small hole. (Goodnight all.) She called out from the hole.

Charmeleon shrugged. (To each their own I suppose.)

(Yup) Luxio said, also settling down to sleep. He glanced over at Mudsdale and Noibat. They had also settled down to sleep; Mudsdale was sitting on the floor while Noibat was perched on a large rock jutting out from the wall. (What do you think is up with them?)

(What do you mean?) Charmeleon asked.

(They've kept to themselves this whole time.) Luxio elaborated. (I tried talking to that Mudsdale when we where waiting for the sock guy and their trainer to come back. It was like trying to talk to a stone, but without all of the personality.)

Charmeleon shrugged. (I don't know. Maybe they're shy?)

(Maybe.) Luxio sighed. (Not that's it any of my business. I'm just wondering aloud is all.)

(Nothing wrong with that.) Charmeleon muttered. As Luxio tried to make himself comfortable, Charmeleon shot another glance at Mudsdale and Noibat. He had no reason to dislike the two pokémon. Mudsdale had done nothing except stand around quietly while Noibat had been polite in the brief interaction they'd had. And yet, something about the two made him feel uncomfortable. It was like something about them was setting off a very small alarm bell buried deep within the darkest recesses of his mind. The only thing that he could think of had that garnered anything like a similar reaction was on occasions in the lab were one of the other pokémon had committed some mischief and had tried to divert suspicion by acting normal. But even then, those had never conjured any reaction as _ominous_ as what he was feeling now. It was an unknown and Charmeleon was coming to discover that he really didn't like the unknown.

(I'll just have to keep an eye on them.) Charmeleon growled softly, laying down so that he was inconspicuously, or at least as much as possible, facing Noibat and Mudsdale. (It might turn out to be nothing, but it never hurts to be prepared.) As he drifted into a fitful sleep, Charmeleon wondered if the others were getting the same feeling from those two. He'd have to ask them about it in the morning.

* * *

Next time on _Pok_ _é_ _mon, the ED-Ventures_ : The Eds continue through Churn Tunnel while the Cul-de-Sac trio runs into some bug related trouble in Greenspur Forest.

* * *

 **Author's Notes on artillery of the literary variety**

1. **Ed, Edd n Eddy/Pok** **é** **mon cannon** : So far as Ed, Edd n Eddy is concerned, everything from the show has happened excepted the _Big Picture Show._ As for Pokémon, the events from the main series games will be canon. That being said, I will use various aspects from the games, anime, manga, etc.

2\. **Character Ages** : So far as I can tell, none of the ages of the Ed, Edd n Eddy characters were ever given in the show. I think the only specific mention on age is a background detail in one of the earlier episodes that says Eddy was 12. The only other specific details are that Eddy's brother was older than all of the other characters and Ed was older than Sarah. For this story, I am assuming that they are all teenagers from somewhere around 14-17. I base this on the my assumption that the school we see the characters in the later seasons is a high school. It could just be my experience, but it looks more like high school than middle or elementary school. Though in grand scheme of the story, the question of age probably won't have any real relevance.

3\. **Pok** **é** **mon** **Battles/** **Experience** **Growth** : Some might notice that the pokémon in the party status change even for pokémon that did not battle in the chapter or more than it should. For the sake of keeping the story moving, not every battle that the characters take part in will be shown. There will be a lot of off screen battles, but they won't be any really important battles. The only exception would be some of the gym battles. Once the Cul-de-Sac trio had their first gym battles not every gym battle will be shown. We will see one battle from each group for each gym instead of all seven battles for each character.

* * *

 **Eddy**

 **Name:** Charmeleon

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 18

 **Ability:** Blaze

 **Moves:** Dragon Rage, Growl, Ember, Smokescreen

 **Name:** Luxio

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 18

 **Ability:** Intimidate

 **Moves:** Spark, Leer, Charge, Bite

 **Name:** Drilbur

 **Gender:** female

 **Level:** 15

 **Ability:** Sand Rush

 **Moves:** Mud-Slap, Rapid Spin, Fury Swipes, Metal Claw

 **Double D**

 **Name:** Wartortle

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 18

 **Ability:** Torrent

 **Moves:** Bubble, Bite, Water Gun, Withdraw

 **Name:** Pidgey

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 17

 **Ability:** Keen Eye

 **Moves:** Whirlwind, Sand Attack, Gust, Quick Attack

 **Ed**

 **Name:** Ivysaur

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 18

 **Ability:** Overgrow

 **Moves:** Take Down, Poison Powder, Vine Whip, Leech Seed

 **Name:** Stantler

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 17

 **Ability:** Intimidate

 **Moves:** Stomp, Leer, Astonish, Sand Attack

 **Name:** Drifloon

 **Gender:** female

 **Level:** 15

 **Ability:** Aftermath

 **Moves:** Constrict, Minimize, Astonish, Gust

 **Kevin**

 **Name:**?

 **Gender:**?

 **Level:**?

 **Ability:**?

 **Moves:**?

 **Name:** Totodile

 **Gender:** Male

 **Level:** 8

 **Ability:** Torrent

 **Moves:** Scratch, Leer, Water Gun, Rage

 **Nazz**

 **Name:** Snivy

 **Gender:** female

 **Level:** 7

 **Ability:** Overgrow

 **Moves:** Tackle, Leer, Vine Whip

 **Names:** Misdreavus

 **Gender:** male

 **Level:** 1

 **Ability:** Levitate

 **Moves:** Growl, Psywave, Nasty Plot, Spite

 **Rolf**

 **Name:** Chimchar

 **Gender:** male

 **Level:** 8

 **Ability:** Blaze

 **Moves:** Scratch, Leer, Ember

 **Jonny**

 **Name:** Rowlet

 **Gender:** male

 **Level:** 7

 **Ability:** Overgrow

 **Moves:** Tackle, Growl, Leafage

 **Name:** Rattata

 **Gender:** female

 **Level:** 6

 **Ability:** Guts

 **Moves:** Tackle, Tail Whip, Quick Attack


End file.
